


A Million Unlived Memories

by rosydoky



Series: AMUM & Spinoffs [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crack, Dreams, Fluff, Language of Flowers, M/M, Marijuana, Memories, Multi, OT13 - Freeform, Soulmates, basically a bunch of platonic soulmate finding on the side, bc im a comedian, flowershop, its not too bad i promise, kind of powers??, lots of fluff eventually, lots of platonic moments, predictive dreams, they are dumb college kids they sometimes drink and smoke lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-05-14 19:18:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14775645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosydoky/pseuds/rosydoky
Summary: The dreams should be comforting, really. A peek into what was to come in his future, assuring him that he'd eventually find his soulmate and be excessively, disgustingly, happy. So why was he so frustrated every time he woke up?Or: an AU where every once in a while you get a glimpse into your future with your soulmate through a predictive dream, except the dream gods are not very lenient and definitely do not give any hints. Good thing Joshua Hong is around to help him figure this out, maybe.





	1. V1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first ever Seventeen fanfic! Wow! I'd just like to start off by saying that this is a work of fiction and therefore does not reflect any of the real life interactions/personalities of the group members. I respect them immensely and mean no ill will or disrespect with this work of fiction, I just love the dynamic of the way Seungkwan/Vernon interact (from what we see) and decided to run with that. Okay now that the boring disclaimer is out of the way, please enjoy this fic! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me on twitter @rosydoky.  
> Also special thanks to my best friend Denna who has beta'd this fic for me and given me lots of support!! Find her on twitter @hootyhoon :^)

Already he’s aware that he’s seen this one before, but he can’t complain. He’d say it was his favorite, but that just didn’t seem fair to him. How could he compare a million moments of his lifetime to each other? 

But this one was special, for whatever reason. It always started the same, he saw his figure sitting on the beach in a cloudy town. He wished he could figure out exactly where, wished he could just get one hint, something to keep him going. Now wasn’t the time for wishing, though, now was the time for pretending he was already living the life he was anxiously waiting for. 

He looked at the figure sitting next to his own carefully, it was no more than a blurred out image, a smudged spot of ink on a beautiful, rolling canvas. He wanted so badly to reach out to them, to learn their name, he wanted to scream out and ask for them to come to him. 

Then he was calm, like everything in the world had finally clicked, he sighed in relief as the effect of the dream took hold of him once more. He heard laughter, muffled, indistinguishable, beautiful. He wondered if they were a musician, everything about them felt melodic. He saw the future him sitting, smiling wider than he knew was possible, his fingers intertwined with the blurry blob. This version of himself was so happy and carefree, his hair was longer and curlier, a look Vernon still couldn’t imagine he’d pick out, but he must have, because there he was. 

He had more wrinkles around his eyes, probably from smiling so much, but he was still young. Vernon wagered this was only a few years in the future now, two or three if he had to absolutely guess a timeframe. That seemed so soon but not soon enough all rolled into one. 

The present day Vernon closed his eyes, letting the dream take over him completely, filling his head with blurry memories that hadn’t even happened yet. 

 

Vernon was always in a bad mood when he woke up from that dream. Sure, he’d wake up refreshed, cheeks tinted pink, his heart beating impossibly fast. He’d have a good day that day, because that’s just how it worked. Have a vague dream about your future, your days going to be great, as if some twisted god was re paying him for the suffering he had to endure while he waited for his predictions to come true. 

He was 20 now, still young, he tried to remind himself of that often, but the waiting game was still difficult. He knew he didn’t have much longer to go, he had seen himself only a few years older looking so happy and content, but for the present timing, he was basically miserable. 

Life wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. He worked in a shitty coffee shop in downtown New York, the pay wasn’t great but he had a few coworkers he genuinely enjoyed. He went to school three days a week and took another three classes online, although if it were up to him, he’d have dropped out completely by then. 

His parents were artists, and they were lenient with him to an extent. They understood that he had a mind much like theirs, he wasn’t really cut out for a run of the mill nine to five business job. He wanted to make music, and his parents supported his dream, but they also wanted to make sure he continued working on something “practical” as well. 

So he was a music major, which was easy enough considering he genuinely enjoyed the subject, but something about all the rules and deadlines made him want to rip his hair out. Sometimes he wished he could just blow up overnight and not have to worry about another music theory essay ever again. But this was real life, and real life meant real hard work and dedication to get things you wanted, or at least that’s what his mother always nagged him about. 

So for the time being, he worked in a shitty coffee shop, he went to a shitty community college, ate a lot of shitty pizza and hung out with a lot of not-so shitty friends. 

He finally mustered up the strength to roll out of bed, he wasn’t tired by any means, if anything he had a ton of energy and his biological reaction to the dream was telling him, “carpe diem bitch! Today is going to be great!” but even with all the positive endorphins racing though his body, he couldn’t help but feel just a little hopeless. 

“G’morning,” his roommate, Chan mumbled to him, not looking up from his phone as he shoveled cheap ramen into his mouth. 

“Morning, ramen for breakfast? Really?” Vernon chasticized, rolling his eyes at the younger boy. 

Chan shrugged, still not looking up from his phone. 

“I’m making pancakes, stop eating that.” 

This finally got Chan’s attention, he slowly pushed the ramen away and looked at his roommate with a smile, “what’s the occasion?” 

Vernon didn’t look over, trying to hide how much he was blushing, “guess.” 

“Oh, another dream then?” Chan’s eyes widened, “you’re getting them more frequently! Do you think you’ll meet her soon?” 

Vernon shrugged, “I don’t know. Also don’t say her.” 

Chan frowned, “sorry, I forgot.” 

“It’s okay… you just never know, you know?” Vernon said, ruffling his messy hair and earning an annoyed look, “plus something makes me think that it’s definitely going to be a guy anyways. We’ll see soon, hopefully.” 

“Cheers to that,” Chan sighed, “sometimes, I feel like it’s never going to happen for me. I hardly ever get dreams.” 

“You’re like 19, you have plenty of time.”

“You’re only a year older than me and you’re constantly sulking, take your own advice.” 

Vernon scoffed, “I’m not sulking.” 

Chan hummed, “okay bud, keep telling yourself that. The pancakes ready yet or what?”

“Sometimes I feel like I’m a full time nanny,” Vernon sighed, earning a uproar of laughter from Chan. 

 

The rest of the day continued as usual, Monday morning, music production class at 10 AM until 12 PM, quick lunch break, music theory from 12:30 PM until 3:30 PM, maybe have time to take a quick nap before work, usually not though, work anywhere between 4:30 PM and 1 AM, walk home, have Chan’s leftover pizza, study, go to sleep. It was like this six out of seven days a week, the same boring routine, the same boring walk to and from his apartment, school, and his job, the same dirty city filled with nasty people who didn’t respect anyone who wasn’t wearing a three piece suit. 

So maybe everything went right that day, he aced his music theory exam, got a free slice of pizza from the bodega, had time to nap before work, and got a good amount of tips that night. Really, he couldn’t complain, by all counts he had a textbook perfect day, but he couldn’t shake the anxiety in his stomach that twisted his intestines like vines around a window sill. 

It wasn’t late yet, and he didn’t have any classes on campus the next day, so he decided to continue using his dream induced good luck and ask his friends if they were up for a night on the town. Maybe he’d meet somebody cute at that tiny club downtown, and even if he didn’t, at least he knew he could get hammered without having to worry about a hangover the next day. 

He sent a quick text to his group chat, asking them to meet him at the Wave for a few drinks and a good time, he knew at least one would say yes, he could count on that. 

Chan immediately replied, reminding Vernon with a sequence of curse words that he had lost his fake ID at the fault of Vernon himself. Really, it wasn’t his fault that he dropped it down a sewer drain, Chan should have known better than to trust his clumsy self with anything of any value. 

With Chan out, that left Jihoon and Mingyu, they were both 21 and had no reason not to join Vernon on his city escapade. He had met them through Chan who seemed to know literally everyone in their school.They were soulmates, and had known for a few months now, and even though they were fun to hang out with, Vernon couldn’t help but feel like he was missing out when he saw them interact with each other. He was feeling good tonight though, like something great was going to happen, and he wasn’t sure if it was the dream high or the heaps of caffeine he had drank that day, but he wanted nothing more than to hang out with his closest friends. 

So he was a little pissed off when they told him they had plans, it was their 7 month-iversary, or something stupid and cheesy like that. Mingyu was really into all that kind of stuff, and Jihoon was really into Mingyu so he went along with it. 

Vernon sighed, leaning against the old brick wall of the club, wondering if he should just walk home and watch Netflix with Chan. Even as he started to pull away, however, he felt that he shouldn’t leave. He felt like something inside that club was going to change his life. 

He walks in and orders a drink from the burly bartender, not even flinching when he’s asked for his ID. He knows it will work tonight, he doesn’t have to worry about that. 

He nurses a Jack and Coke that is a bit too strong for his taste and wonders what the fuck he’s even doing here. He doesn’t even really enjoy nightlife, really only participating when his friends drag him out once a month, but he can’t ignore the nagging in his head telling him that he is supposed to be here, that the universe is trying to align something, so don’t be difficult. 

He’s on the dance floor aimlessly talking with a blonde girl a few years older than him, they’re both bored but they try to hide it. He finds comfort knowing that she’s probably here for the same reasons as he is, and he inwardly sends out a prayer that she finds what she’s looking for soon as well. She’s good enough conversation, so he dances with her, still working on finishing his first drink. 

 

About an hour into dancing mindlessly with some stranger, (maybe her name was Ellen? He isn’t sure, he isn’t really paying attention) he starts to wonder if he should just head home after all, say fuck it to the universe because it is taking far too long and at this point he just wants to be curled up on the couch, watching bad reality TV with his best friend. 

He says his goodbyes to the girl, giving her a knowing smile and he swears he sees a twinkle in her eye and he understands completely. He’s almost at the door just as he bumps into someone. 

“Oop, sorry,” he murmurs, steadying himself on the table next to him. 

“Vernon?” the person asks, and his voice isn’t recognizable at all, he assumes he’s an acquaintance from the coffee shop or something. 

Vernon looks up at the man and doesn’t recognize him at all, not even as someone he’s seen in passing. He seems to be around the same age as his friends so he wonders if he’s a friend of Chan’s he hasn’t met yet. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the man stumbles, “I’m Joshua, I always forget to do that, shit.” 

“Okay,” Vernon breathes, “okay Joshua, no offense, but I have no idea who you are and we’re in a shady area, and I’m starting to get a little freaked out.” 

Joshua turns a bright shade of red, “oh, no, no! Okay I need to start explaining,” he pauses, looking at Vernon seriously, “I’m here to guide you.” 

Vernon snorts, “guide me? Okay buddy you’re going to have to back off before I make you-” 

Joshua shakes his head, “I’m so bad at this oh my God I am so sorry. Please hear me out, I’m a soulmate guide.” 

Vernon tilts his head, “a what? I’ve never heard of anything like that before.” 

Joshua nods excitedly, “they aren’t that common! You see, most soulmates are generally pretty close in proximity, hiding under each other’s noses before they finally realize. Eventually, they’ll meet, in a coffee shop, or at a park, you know, the usual stuff.” 

“But,” he continues, “for some people, it’s a little different. Somewhere during your life things got a little… mixed up,” he hesitates, “it’s nothing you did, just the way things worked out. Things out of you and your soulmates control. Anyways, for whatever reason, you two have been separated, and I’m here to help you find them!” 

Vernon blinked, feeling overwhelmed but mostly confused, suddenly the one drink he had felt like twenty and the room was spinning.

“Okay, you look like you’re going to pass out,” Joshua tsked, “let’s get you home.”

“You know where I live?” Vernon asked in a daze.

Joshua nodded, “I know a lot, Hansol. Now c’mon, Chan is waiting.” 

Vernon didn’t even bother asking how he knew his real first name, or how who he knew who Chan was, he figured if this guy was going to kill him he wouldn’t have picked him up in such a public place, and if everything he had told him was true, Vernon was more than excited to be meeting him. 

 

Chan stared at the older boy incredulously, “okay, so are you like, an angel or something? A witch?” 

Joshua snorted, “no. I’m human just like you two, I have a soulmate. We’ve been together for two years. I just happen to have a gift.” 

Chan scratched his head, “so you’re like… psychic?” 

“I don’t really like that word,” Joshua huffed, “but to put it simply? Yes I suppose I am psychic.”

Chan nodded, “cool,” he looked over at Vernon who was still in shock, “have fun Nonnie, I’ll be in my room.” 

Joshua yawned, “okay, I’m exhausted. Do you have any spare blankets? I didn’t really have time to pack anything. Some comfy clothes would be appreciated as well.” 

Vernon blinked slowly, “wait, so you’re staying here?”

“I mean, I’m only helping you find your soulmate, at the very least you could give me a place to stay.” 

“How do I know you’re not just some freeloader,” Vernon asked, suddenly feeling like he hadn’t made the best decisions all night. 

Joshua sighed, “you’re being so difficult, you know? Here,” he said, pulling out a handful of crumpled papers and shoving them at Vernon, “my credentials, certified by the ISA.” 

Vernon looked at them carefully, “what the hell is the ISA?” 

“You really are clueless, pick up a history of soulmates book someday, kid. It’s the International Soulmate Association. Google it if you have to, I’m the real deal, babe.” 

“Okay,” Vernon said carefully, handing back the papers, “I believe you, but now you expect me to just go to sleep after you’ve basically told me you know who my soulmate is?” 

“I don’t know who your soulmate is,” Joshua corrected, “I know the general area they’re in, and I know some of the memories you two share, and I know some of the places we need to visit for you two to meet by chance, but that’s it. I’m only here to get you started on your own journey.”

“So… you’re basically a glorified travel guide.” 

“Well, when you put it that way, it sounds way less cool,” Joshua smiled brightly, “now how about those PJs and blankets?” 


	2. V2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> where in the world is vernon's soulmate!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO I WROTE THIS CHAPTER TWICE accidentally uploaded the original version which I hated yikes anyways this one is a bit shorter but cest la vie or whatever

He had never been a reader, of course he read when he absolutely had to, but otherwise he had never been one to pick up a book, “just for fun.” His little sister was like that, always nagging him about reading books before watching their film adaptations, but Vernon was never a reader. 

He walked down rows of nondescript books, shelves that reached the high ceiling towering above him. He couldn’t even begin to guess where he might be, seeing as he hadn’t been to a library since he was a child, and it didn’t help that all the books around him were blurred out. Whatever sick higher being was in charge of the soulmate dreams was very thorough. 

Even still, among all these books, he felt at home. Unlike his beach dream, which was exhilarating yet refreshing, this dream was all warmth and soft feelings. This dream smelled so intensely of old books, coffee stains, and clean laundry. This dream was safe but unsure, enveloping him in the feelings of falling in love. 

He walked slowly down the aisles of the huge library, he had plenty of time to wander. Truthfully, he didn’t really feel up to living this dream tonight, he wished he could’ve just had a normal dream. A nightmare even. Anything was better than having to see something that he wanted so desperately, and knew he would get, but still was unable to attain for the foreseeable future. 

He arrived at a huge window overlooking what was probably a beautiful scenery, but of course all of that had to be blurred out. Instead when he peered out the window, he saw watercolor images of sunsets, rolling beyond him for infinity. Never ending, never hinting to anything. 

He saw them in his peripheral vision, their presence intense and radiating butterflies in stomachs, lingering stares, crooked smiles. He closed his eyes this time, usually he’d stare intently, analyzing every detail that he was given. He was usually thorough, he wanted to remember everything when he woke up. 

Tonight was different though. Through the thick feelings of contentment and love, deep down inside of him was raging jealousy, threatening to pierce his eyes with tears. He was jealous of the person he was going to become, jealous that he couldn’t just wake up, throw a secure arm around his soulmate, and know that everything would be alright. His frustration and jealousy manifested into dark clouds, bogging up the beautifully painted skies. The dream faded out and he was awake again, still alone. 

 

He woke up feeling relieved that the dream was over, but confused by the ending. Never in his entire life had his current emotions ever affected one of his predictive dreams so heavily. He wondered if this was a bad sign, and if he should say something to Chan, but decided against it purely because he just wasn’t up to talking about his emotions so early in the morning.

Even with his dream ruined, his body still rushed with positive endorphins, and quite frankly, he really wasn’t in the mood to be in a good mood today. He pushed himself out of bed anyways, trying to ignore the anxious-for-something-good knots in his stomach. 

He had nearly forgotten that he had taken in a total stranger the night before, but was loudly reminded when he walked into the kitchen to see Joshua and Chan making waffles. 

“Good morning,” Joshua said sweetly, “good dream last night, hm?” 

Vernon’s brow furrowed, “can you see my dreams or something?”

Joshua shook his head, “I mean, sometimes I see vague visions of them, but no not really. I can just tell because you’re like, glowing, physically. You look like you just got a 24 karat gold facial.” 

Vernon sighed, “I wish that was the case…”

“I had a dream last night too, Non!” Chan said excitedly, “the first one in months, we were in a grocery store I think and we were like, picking out ingredients for some sort of soup? Maybe a hot pot or something? Anyways it wasn’t really the most romantic thing but it was  _ so _ domestic...” 

 

Chan continued on in great detail about his dream, and Vernon couldn’t help but miss the innocent wonder he used to have about his own. He used to be just like Chan, unable to hold back how excited he was about every little glimpse of his future. He wondered how on Earth he became so jaded. 

He could feel Joshua staring at him, and knew that his cover was blown, the older boy knew something was going on. 

Joshua cleared his throat, ending Chan’s fifteen minute rant about the apples he was going to buy someday in the future, “Vernon? Can we talk?” 

Vernon sighed, standing up begrudgingly from his chair. He was coming to realize that there wasn’t any hiding when it came to his new friend. 

Joshua lead him into his own room, closing the door behind them before turning to look at the younger boy seriously. 

“What are you doing to yourself?” he asked, sounding exasperated. 

Vernon already felt the tears welling up in his eyes, he hated talking about his feelings, it just wasn’t in his nature, but God did he need to get some things off his chest. 

“I’m just, really confused,” he started carefully, trying his best to hold back, “for months I’ve felt so hopeless and lost, which I guess makes sense considering something happened during my life that separated me from my soulmate and now it’s just catching up to me. And then you come up to me in a shitty club and tell me you’re going to fix things,” 

Vernon inhaled a shaky breath, “and that makes me even more confused because for the first time in a long time I feel… hopeful, like something great is going to happen.”

Joshua nodded quietly, placing a protective hand on Vernon’s shoulder, “can I share something with you?” he asked. 

Vernon nodded back, wiping a stray tear off his cheek. 

“Two years ago, I was living in LA. I was born and raised there, my friends were there, my family, a great job, I was surrounded by amazing things. Everything felt wrong,” he sighed, “and then I met my soulmate guide.”

Vernon raised an eyebrow, “wait, you had to have a guide too?”

Joshua nodded, “I was conceived in South Korea, and I guess I was meant to stay there,” he smiled weakly, “when I found out he was in Seoul… I was so angry, so confused, so frustrated. I had so many chances in my adult life to go back to Seoul. I had family there, I speak perfect Korean, but I just… never went. I blamed myself for my sadness and pain. I blamed myself for his too.”  

“So I was hard on myself,” he continued, “I fought off the endorphins, like I know you do, I wore myself out by forcing myself to be miserable. It was frustrating for my guide too, bless her heart, because I was constantly angry with her. I just really didn’t know how to handle my emotions.” 

“This sounds like you’re saying all of this so I’ll be nicer to you,” Vernon said, laughing a little between tears. 

Joshua shrugged, “maybe that’s one of my motives. But really, my job on this planet, my destiny, is to help people like you and your soulmate. This is what makes me feel alive, helping people find what I have now.” 

Vernon sniffed, “doesn’t your soulmate hate that you’re gone so often?”

Joshua smiled brightly, “he’s clingy, and so am I, but he gets it. We see each other often, I really only have one client a year usually, so I’m home a lot. He’s grateful that people like me exist, because without people like me, who knows how long we would have been waiting to miraculously cross paths.” 

“I’m a patient person now,” he said calmly, “I used to be the most impatient person on Earth. I used to beg the universe to let something happen to me, every single night. I used to waste all my energy on waiting anxiously and never focused on doing. All I ask of you, is to be patient with me, as much as you can. Understand that things won’t come overnight, I’d wager we have about a week left until I know where we need to go. Until then I need you to continue living, here, in the present. Not in the future, because if you do all your living there now, you’ll never make it.”  

 

Vernon tried his best to keep busy the next few days, trying to follow Joshua’s advice of living in the present rather than wasting all his time and energy waiting on the future. Truthfully, he had a lot of things he needed to do, which was helpful to the cause.

Shortly after their conversation, Joshua had his first vision. Vernon’s soulmate was somewhere in Asia, a continent Vernon had never even visited. This meant that they would be leaving the country within the next week to a location they hadn’t even discovered yet. 

“What about my job? School?” Vernon asked, trying to keep his cool.

Joshua just hummed, “you won’t have a problem finding a job there, I can see that. Semester ends on Friday, you’ll wrap up your studies and be ready to leave by then. Start packing now, we’ll be gone for quite a while.”

Vernon blinked, still not completely sure he wasn’t just dreaming up this entire, crazy experience, “the only other language I speak is Korean, does that mean my soulmate is in Korea? How else would I find a job, oh my God what if there’s a huge language barrier? What if we can’t even talk to each other!” 

Joshua tsked, “you’re worrying yourself sick again,” he ruffled Vernon’s hair affectionately, “I can’t say for sure if they’re in Korea, but considering that’s the only other language you speak, I’d say the chances are high. Language barriers are not common with soulmates, and even if you do have one, by some odd chance, you will conquer it swiftly. Now, finish studying for your math final and I’ll start packing up your room.” 

“What about Chan?” Vernon asked, suddenly remembering he was about to leave his best friend for months. 

Joshua shrugged, “he’s going to end up coming with us, I think he’s already packing, actually. You know, there’s a pretty good chance he could be a soulmate guide in the future. Maybe I’ll take him under my wing.” 

“If he ends up being a soulmate guide, I’m going to kick his ass. He could’ve been soulmate guiding me this whole time, and then I wouldn’t have to deal with your nagging,” Vernon said, rolling his eyes. 

Joshua smiled brightly at him, “you already love me.” 

 

So now it was three days later, still no sign of where exactly his soulmate was located. Vernon had done everything in his power to stay busy, he visited his parents and little sister for an entire day, explaining the situation what felt like a million times. At first they found it hard to believe, but luckily Vernon was smart enough to bring Joshua with him, and of course the older boy charmed the hell out of the room, and Vernon received their blessing. 

He spent a lot of time with Mingyu and Jihoon, for so long their relationship had made him feel jealous, but he tried his hardest to look at it in a positive light now. Their relationship was physical proof that things would eventually work out. Maybe they hadn’t been in the same situation Vernon found himself in, but even their relationship had a rocky start. 

They had known each other for years, grown up together in Busan, South Korea. This wasn’t unusual for soulmates, many pairings had been childhood friends, what was odd in their case was that they were never friends. They were enemies. 

Jihoon was older than Mingyu, and he felt that this gave him power of him, always bossing him around on the playground. But then puberty hit, and Mingyu shot up like a bean sprout, towering quite a few inches over the boy who had bullied him for years. 

Mingyu was mild mannered of course, he was goofy and sweet, so he never got his payback on Jihoon, which just pissed the older boy off more. He constantly accused Mingyu of patronizing him for being short, just because Mingyu wouldn’t engage in physical altercations with him. 

It went on like that for years, the two of them made the mistake of becoming foreign exchange students at the same university in New York, and their feud continued. They saw each other often, swearing it was only because they were so lonely and in need of a familiar face from back home. One night, while out drinking, Jihoon was yelling at Mingyu again for one reason or another, daring him to push him. 

Mingyu must have finally enough, because for the first time ever, he reacted to Jihoon’s threats. He pushed him against a wall in a seedy alleyway in Brooklyn, and kissed him. 

The next morning, they had forgotten all their predictive dreams, and that’s when they realized, they were finally living their future. 

So Vernon started to find comfort in their relationship, he admired the way Jihoon softened when he looked at Mingyu, the way Mingyu’s smile broadened when Jihoon walked into the room. All of their gestures were like this, so quick that you could only see them if you were really paying attention. They weren’t touchy, Jihoon hated PDA, they were all stolen glances and intertwined fingers under coffee tables. 

Most of his time during this period he spent with Joshua and Chan on their living room couch, watching Netflix with a laptop opened nearby, ready to order plane tickets when the time came. Their lives were packed into boxes now, Joshua was right when he said that Chan fully planned on going with them wherever it was they were heading. The apartment was basically empty, save for a TV on their floor and the furniture that came with the place when they rented it. 

The fourth day was Vernon’s last day of work, and as much as he hated the shitty pay and area of his work, he was going to miss the coffee shop he had spent so much time at. If he was being honest with himself, under all the excitement of the move was a pit of fear. He had never left the states, not even to visit Canada. When his parents went overseas, he and his sister were always left with his grandmother in Florida. 

He had about an hour left of his last shift ever, and something inside of him was building excitement at every passing minute. He chalked it up to his dreams which had not stopped for over a week now, but something else was telling him that he was about to receive good news. 

He clocked out for the last time, said thank you to his boss and got the hell out of there. It was raining when he walked out of the shop, and his feet ached from the uncomfortable dress shoes that were part of his uniform, but he ran the entire thirteen blocks home. 

He burst through the door, breathing heavily. He was welcomed by Joshua’s smiling face, and he knew exactly what was going on. 

“Where?” he asked breathlessly, unable to hide his excitement. 

“Seoul,” Joshua said proudly, “we leave tomorrow.” 


	3. SK1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Seungkwan's pov)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello just a disclaimer bc i didn't really write this in great detail in the storyline just bc it didn't fit anywhere without coming off as unnatural, but i'm just going to take a quick second to explain some things in case anyone is a lil confused.  
> 1) you have predictive dreams all your life, often they are repeats of old dreams but sometimes they're new  
> 2) there are some people who never have dreams and they are content with that, meaning they don't have a romantic soulmate, there are other special cases that will be explored in this fic  
> 3) once you kiss your soulmate, your dreams end and all the dreams you had in the past vanish from your memory bc what fun would life be if you knew all the monumental moments to come? so basically you know you've met your soulmate when you kiss them, fall asleep, and wake the next day with no memory of your dreams (i hope this makes sense) 
> 
> also this chapter is from seungkwan's pov, and there will be chapters from his pov every 2 chapters. it's vernon-centric but i had to get boo's side in there a bit too, y'know? 
> 
> anyways that's it, hope you're enjoying the fic so far bc i love writing it :^)

Seungkwan’s eyes fluttered open, welcoming the soft pastel hue of his dream. He smiled to himself, a bit surprised he was already having another one. He didn’t dwell on this, though, he had a beautiful world to explore. No matter how many times he’d had this dream, he still had not gotten sick of it. He assumed it would be impossible to ever get sick of one of these dreams, because they were pure magic. 

He strolled down the hallways of an unfamiliar apartment, it was small, but much cozier and nicer than his current place. It felt like home, more than anywhere else had before, even his childhood home in Jeju. It smelled lightly of vanilla, and he wondered if someone had been baking cookies that day. He had never been good at baking, or cooking anything for that matter, so whoever his soulmate was must have been at least mediocre in the kitchen. 

The walls in the narrow hallway are covered with a million framed photos, all blurred out of course as to not reveal anything. He trailed his hands across them as he walked by, watching them disappear into a cloudy haze behind him. 

He could hear laughing coming from behind the door at the very end of the hallway, one of the laughs was certainly his own, impossible to mistake for anyone else's. The other is distorted, without a single hint of who it may belong to, but still to him it sounded like the most beautiful song ever sang. He hummed to himself, smiling and closing his eyes, treasuring the feeling of warmth that surrounded him. 

He must have been standing there for too long, because the dream started to progress without him. The door pushed open, revealing a small bedroom with a large, fluffy, bed as the centerpiece. He was pleased to see the vanity in the corner, fully stocked with a plethora of cosmetics that most likely belonged to him, maybe even shared with his partner. He walked into the room quietly, as if not to interrupt the two figures lounging on the plush bed. 

They weren’t doing much, his soulmate was lying back, propped into an upright position by a few pillows. Of course they were shapeless in this dream, their form not human in anyway, but he could still make out their hand gently stroking his future self’s hair. 

This was a common practice in his dreams, he realized. Whoever his soulmate was happened to be practically obsessed with his hair, for whatever reason. It seemed like many of these dreams featured Seungkwan with his head in their lap, fingers running through it endlessly as they chatted and laughed. 

His hair was a light pink shade, vastly different from his currently dark brown hair. He smiled to himself, admiring how cute he looked in the pastel color. At least he knew now that he could definitely pull it off. 

He felt the dream start to fade away and felt a tug of sadness at his heart, part of him wished he could stay here, watching the two people just be themselves with each other. But as he woke, his moment of sadness dissipated with the dream.

 

For all intents and purposes, Seungkwan tried not to think too much about finding his soulmate. He had seen far too many of his friends lose their heads trying to magically bump into the person they’d spend the rest of his life with. No, Seungkwan was reasonable, he had a good life, he was happy, he didn’t absolutely  _ need _ to find his soulmate at the moment. 

Of course, it would be nice, he could admit that. He wasn’t into dating, only going on dates with people if he felt there was a true connection, and so far that had only been one other person. She met her actual soulmate five days later. They remained friends. 

But really, Seungkwan had nothing to complain about. He had been living in Seoul for a little over a year now, coming to the big city as an island boy with not a whole lot of cash but an abundance of dreams. He thankfully found that his four flatmates he met on the internet were not murderers, but just the right enough amount of weird to be a good time. He and his roommate, Seokmin, found a job at a floral shop down the street from their apartment, and they instantly fell in love with the place. 

When he wasn’t working amongst a million flowers, he was at school studying what he was truly passionate about, music. After years of amature talent shows and singing in the shower, he was able to get real, helpful, voice lessons. Many of his instructors seemed impressed with his quick improvement and often told him that he definitely had a future in the industry. 

So things were perfect, really. He and his soulmate could wait. 

 

He walked out of his room feeling content, he really enjoyed how often he was getting soulmate dreams lately and wondered if the number of them had any significance towards meeting whoever it was. Nevertheless, he felt happy and calm this morning, for the 10th morning in a row. 

“Morning,” he said cheerfully to one of his flatmates, Junhui, who was sipping on a cup of coffee, most likely nursing a hangover.

“Too loud,” he hissed, “Hao and I went to the clubs last night, remember?” 

Seungkwan rolled his eyes, “yes I remember, I heard you guys stumble in at an ungodly hour,” he sighed, reaching into the cabinet above their sink and pulling out aspirin, “here, hyung, make sure you drink some water too. I’m going to make some breakfast.” 

Jun smiled, “such a sweet child, thanks.” 

“Your boyfriend is only like, a few months older than me,” Seungkwan whined. 

“Yes, but you’re still a great kid,” Jun shrugged, “that doesn’t change anything.” 

Seungkwan scrunched up his nose, not really feeling like arguing with the older boy this morning. 

“Where’s Hao?” he asked, changing the subject.

Jun smiled lightly, stirring his coffee, “still in bed, I couldn’t wake him up, he looked so peaceful.” 

Seungkwan snorted, “thank you so much, I don’t want to deal with a grumpy Minghao all day.” 

“What’s cooking, bitches?” Seungkwan’s other roommate, Soonyoung, announced as he walked into the kitchen, looking chipper and glowier than usual. 

“You have a dream last night too?” Seungkwan asked, concentrating on flipping two oddly shaped pancakes.

Soonyoung nodded, “yep, you too then?” 

Seungkwan simply hummed back in answer, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks as he remembered the soft details of his latest dream. 

“You sure we aren’t soulmates?” Soonyoung asked, “our dreams are always aligned, I feel like. Plus I love you a lot.”

Seungkwan tsked, swatting away Soonyoung’s grabby hands on his shoulders, “we already tried figuring that out, I think it’s safe to say we are most certainly not soulmates.” He cringed at the memory of a drunken night where all his friends had tried kissing as a “scientific project” to see if any of them were actually soulmates. They didn’t expect for Minghao and Jun to actually find out that they were, but once they realized it definitely made sense. 

Ever since then, Seungkwan had made a vow to himself and his future soulmate to never cheat at the task of finding them. Sure, there were tons of seedy events hosted in the city where people could meet and kiss each other to see if anyone clicked, and a lot of people resorted to that despite the low success rate. 

But Boo Seungkwan was a romantic, and he didn’t want to kiss anybody until it came naturally. He wanted the whole nine yards when it came to finally uniting with his soulmate, a romantic gesture that he would remember for a lifetime. 

“Seok have work today?” Soonyoung asked, grabbing a pancake from Jun’s plate. 

“Hey,” Jun said, glaring at the younger boy, “what the fuck?” 

Soonyoung shrugged, “I’m younger than you, shouldn’t the children eat first?” 

“Shouldn’t your  _ hyung _ be fed first?” Jun said, stabbing the pancake and returning it back to his own plate against the protest of Soonyoung. 

“I’m making more, no need to pout,” Seungkwan said, “I swear, I’m the most mature person in this apartment. Except for maybe Hao, but seeing as he’s still incapacitated I’ll be taking his place.” 

“Incapacitated? Big word,” Seokmin said, walking into the kitchen looking groggy from sleep, “also no, I don’t work today. I have a project I’m working on.” 

Seungkwan frowned a bit, sending a concerned glance to his friend. Seokmin caught this and smiled gently, as if to say, “it’s okay, don’t worry about me.” 

The truth of the matter was that Boo was more than worried about his friend. It wasn’t uncommon for people to never get dreams, what was uncommon was a person who never had dreams but was still aching for a romantic relationship. And if there was anyone in the universe who deserved that the least, it was Lee Seokmin. Sometimes Seungkwan wished they could just be soulmates, just so he could see his best friend be happy, but of course he knew they weren’t. He also knew that there was no project he had to work on, but instead another specialist he had to see in hopes of getting some answers. 

“I’m heading out now,” Seungkwan said as he put his dirty dishes into the sink, “I cooked breakfast so one of you is in charge of cleanup, and I swear to God if these dishes are still here when I’m off work I will never cook again.” 

“I mean, you’re cooking isn’t that great anyways, Kwannie,” Minghao said as he walked into the kitchen half asleep. 

Seungkwan sighed loudly, “why do I even bother, absolutely ungrateful children. I’m leaving, Seokmin text me later?” He asked, looking at his best friend seriously. 

He nodded back, smiling weakly, “I might come by work after I meet with my lab partner, I’ll bring you lunch.” 

Seungkwan smiled back at him, ruffling his hair before he headed out the door, hoping that his friend would get some answers soon.

 

Work was slow, as it usually was on a Friday morning. Usually, their busiest time was that afternoon, but until then Seungkwan only had to deal with the odd elderly person who wandered in to buy a bouquet of flowers for their partner. On shifts like this, most of his time was spent behind the counter working on school work or playing some game on his phone. 

He had to admit, he really did get lucky when it came to finding this job. He was constantly surrounded by flowers, he got to work with his best friend often, it was nearby his apartment and school, and his boss was actually pretty cool. Sometimes the customers were awful, especially around the holidays, but overall the job was great and paid enough money to keep him well fed and off the streets. 

“What are you working on?” his manager, Wonwoo, asked as he came up behind Seungkwan, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder as he peered at the paper in front of him. The two of them had actually become good friends after working together for a while, and somehow Wonwoo and his roommate, Seungcheol, had become regular guests at the boy’s apartment. 

“Lyrics,” Seungkwan sighed, “for my music composition class. It’s my weakest subject, I’m awful at writing.” 

“I would help you, but I’m not really a writer,” Wonwoo smiled, “more of a reader. Anyways, someone just walked in, and I’m busy pruning in the back, can you take them?” 

Seungkwan looked up from his paper, noticing the young man who had just walked into the door, a refreshing face for a slow afternoon filled with old people. 

“Yeah, I’ve got it,” he said, closing his notebook and walking over to the man. He seemed to be about the same age as Seungkwan, maybe a bit older. He was all elegant features and soft angles, with light brown hair that was just a tad longer than Seungkwan’s. He had to admit, this man was absolutely stunning. 

“Hi,” he said, revealing his soft voice, “I’m looking for a bouquet for my soulmate, he’s coming home today after being overseas… I’m not really sure what kind I’m looking for, just something nice I guess.” 

Seungkwan smiled, a bit disappointed that the handsome stranger already had a soulmate, “of course, I actually have the perfect arrangement for you. We just received these today, they’re pink carnations and I’m not sure if you’re familiar with flower meanings, but these are typically given to somebody you miss.” 

“Oh really?” the man said, his eyes lighting up, showing genuine interest which wasn’t common when Seungkwan got started talking about flowers, “that’s so cool! I didn’t know there was meanings or anything… I usually just buy roses, but I wanted to change it up today.” 

Seungkwan laughed, “that’s really common actually, I’m just kind of a nerd and really enjoy learning about weird things.” 

“It’s not weird,” the man said quickly, “it’s really interesting! Plus you’ll always know what flowers are best for every situation, it’s a practical skill.” 

“Oh, well thanks,” he said, trying to hide a blush, “um, I can go grab those carnations for you now? Is there any specific ribbon color you’d like, sir?” 

“That’d be great, and surprise me with the color, I trust you,” the man smiled warmly, “also, you can call me Jeonghan. Sir makes me feel old.”  

Seungkwan hurried off to make the arrangement, returning with a dozen of the prettiest pink carnations he could find, bunched together neatly with a light yellow bow.

“I would come up with a reason for why I chose the bow color, but honestly I just think the combination is nice,” he rambled as he handed the bouquet over. 

“It’s perfect,” Jeonghan said, “you’re really good at this, are you a floriculture major?” 

“No,” Seungkwan laughed, “music actually, just really took interest in the job.” 

Jeonghan’s face lit up, “oh, I’m a music major as well! You’re a freshman, I take it?” 

“Just finished my first year, actually. What about you?” Seungkwan asked, punching in the price of the bouquet into the old cash register. He was surprised he had never seen him around, considering how striking his features were and how much he enjoyed looking at beautiful people. 

“I’m about to be a senior, you’re a baby!” Jeonghan cooed, reaching forward and squeezing Seungkwan’s cheek as if on instinct, “you’re adorable! I think I like you already.” 

Seungkwan raised an eyebrow, “we just met, and you’re already calling me a baby?” 

Jeonghan nodded excitedly, “you’re just cute, you know? What’s your name by the way, I completely forgot to ask.” 

“Oh, that’s my bad, I’m sorry. I should’ve introduced myself, I’m Boo Seungkwan.” 

“Well, Seungkwan,” Jeonghan said, handing over a handful of bills to the younger boy, “I can already tell we’re going to be good friends, and we are most definitely going to hang out sometime. Us music majors have to stick together!” 

Seungkwan giggled, “if you insist, then I guess I’m obligated. I can give you my number if you want to meet up sometime?” Usually, Seungkwan wouldn’t dare give his number to a complete stranger, but something about Jeonghan was comforting and warm, like he was meant to walk into his life and take care of him. 

Jeonghan nodded excitedly, “that’d be great, I definitely do insist.” 

Seungkwan quickly scribbled his number onto a post it note, handing it back to Jeonghan along with his change, “it was really great meeting you, I expect a text soon!” 

Jeonghan took the note, leaving behind the bills in Seungkwan’s hand, “you’re a poor college student, keep that as a tip. And trust me, you won’t be getting rid of me anytime soon, flower boy,” he said, flashing a big smile at Seungkwan as he turned away and headed towards the door. 

Seungkwan watched as he walked out of the shop, bumping into Seokmin who was on his way in at that exact moment. 

“Who was that? He looks familiar,” Seokmin asked, walking up to the front desk with a bag of takeout. 

“He’s a music major too, maybe you had classes together,” Seungkwan explained, “he was really… interesting. He called me a baby, grabbed my cheeks, and asked for my phone number.” 

Seokmin raised his eyebrow at him, “do you think…” 

Seungkwan shook his head quickly, “no, definitely not. He was picking up flowers for his soulmate, anyways he felt more like a long lost older brother. He has my number now, so I guess we’ll be hanging out. I should introduce him to the others, we could always use more friends.” 

“That’d be great,” Seokmin said, plastering on a weak smile. 

Suddenly Seungkwan remembered where his best friend had just come from and his heart dropped. He reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently. 

“It wasn’t too bad…” Seokmin trailed off, looking at the ground, “nothing I haven’t heard before. She asked me a million times if I was sure I truly felt incomplete. I guess I’m supposed to feel fine,” he hesitated, “but I don’t.” 

“Oh, Minnie,” Seungkwan whispered, stepping forward and wrapping the taller boy in his arms, “it’s going to be okay, we’re going to find someone who can figure this out.” 

He felt Seokmin’s tears as they fell onto his shoulder, his face hidden in the crook of the shorter boy’s neck, “it isn’t fair? Is it?” His trembling voice sent pangs of pain straight to Seungkwan’s heart, Seokmin was the light and happiness of his friend group, ever positive and glowing, always smiling. Seeing him so broken was enough to make his own eyes fill with tears.

Seungkwan shook his head, holding onto his best friend tighter, “of course it isn’t. You don’t deserve any of this, but I promise we’re going to figure this out, I don’t care if I never have the chance to meet my soulmate, I’m going to work hard everyday to find yours!” 

Seokmin chuckled quietly, removing himself from the embrace so that Seungkwan could finally see how truly devastated he felt, “don’t say that, I would never want you to miss your chance at something great. But thank you, you’re a great friend and I still wish we were soulmates.” 

“No need to thank me,” Seungkwan said, wiping away a tear from Seokmin’s face, “and I agree, sucks that we’re stuck being very platonic bros and not falling head over heels for each other instead.” 

“Shut up,” Seokmin said, finally letting out a genuine laugh that Seungkwan had been missing, “for the record, I’m glad that you’re my bro.”

“Right back at ya,” Seungkwan said, and somehow he knew things would end up okay. 


	4. V3

Vernon didn’t dream his first night in Seoul, and he felt as though he should be thankful, but he couldn’t help but feel just a bit disappointed. He had been so used to them by now, a twelve day streak ending abruptly was odd. He decided not to dwell on it. 

He woke up not recognizing his surroundings and had the sudden realization that he was no longer in his shitty apartment back home. He was over 6,000 miles away from home, in fact, and was sleeping on a couch in the living room of a man he had only known for a little over a week. 

His entire world had changed overnight, and he still wasn’t sure how to feel about it, quite frankly. For all he knew Joshua was actually a con artist who wanted to kidnap him and Chan, and they were about to be stranded in South Korea with no way to get home. But somewhere deep inside, he felt the flutters of hope telling him that this was where he was supposed to be. 

He instantly fell in love with Seoul, sure he had spent the majority of his life in a big city, so it wasn’t like this was a huge change, but something about this place made him feel like a missing piece to a huge puzzle had finally been found. He loved how bustling the city was but still didn’t feel like everything around him was moving too fast as it often did in New York City. He reminded himself to scold his parents later for not taking him there sooner. 

More than anything, he assumed it felt right because, if Joshua was in fact who he said he was, he was in the city where he would meet his soulmate. After years of feeling like it would never happen, he was finally on the right track. 

Vernon heard rummaging in the kitchen and quickly felt a sense of panic, they had gotten in late the night before and he still hadn’t been introduced to Joshua’s soulmate. For a moment he wondered if Joshua had even told his soulmate he’d have two men sleeping in his living room until they could get into their own flat, it seemed like something the older boy might fail to mention. 

“Hey,” a kind voice said, walking up behind Vernon and snapping him out of his train of thought, “you’re awake! You’re probably so jetlagged, Jisoo is still sleeping and it seems your friend is too.” 

The man climbed over the back of the couch, rolling onto the seat next to him, flashing him a cute smile before continuing, “I’m Yoon Jeonghan, Joshua’s soulmate, boyfriend, and overall better half. You’re Hansol, right?” 

Vernon smiled back, feeling a bit intimidated by how attractive the older man was, “I go by Vernon, actually, it’s really great to meet you. Joshua never shuts up about you.” 

“All good things, I hope,” Jeonghan said, raising an eyebrow at Vernon. 

“Oh, yea, of course,” Vernon nodded quickly, “always good things.” 

Jeonghan smiled sweetly, “of course he did. Anyways, I’m shit at cooking breakfast but we have cereal, bread, and fruit in the kitchen. I just started the coffee, you and your friend are more than welcome to make yourselves at home.” 

“That’s really nice of you, thanks Jeonghan,” Vernon smiled at him sincerely. 

Jeonghan waved a hand, “I take great interest in my boyfriend’s work, but I never really get to interact with his clients because they never end up coming here,” he pouted, “that’s why I’m so excited you’re here! I may not have a gift like Jisoo does, but I know where to help you look and I’m making you and your soulmate my second priority!” 

Vernon laughed, he already liked this guy more than he did Joshua, “and what is your first priority, if I may ask?” 

Jeonghan smiled, “school, of course. I take my studies  _ very _ seriously.” 

 

If Vernon thought seeing Mingyu and Jihoon interact was torture, he had a big storm coming when it came to being around Joshua and Jeonghan. From the outside, Joshua seemed like a serious, uptight sort of person, and he was, until he was around Jeonghan. 

When Joshua entered the kitchen that morning to see Jeonghan sitting on a barstool, legs crossed and sipping on a huge mug of coffee, he made a face Vernon had never seen on him before. He walked in and had a religious experience, melting right in front of Vernon and Chan as they gawked at his sudden change of personality. 

“Hi, beautiful,” he said softly, wrapping his hands around Jeonghan from behind, “missed you lots, hope I didn’t wake you up last night.” 

Jeonghan placed a hand securely over his boyfriend’s, looking up into his eyes and smiling, “you know I could sleep through the apocalypse. Did you see the gift I left you on your bedside table?” 

Joshua nodded excitedly, blushing and placing a kiss softly on the other man’s cheek, “I did, where’d you get them? They’re gorgeous.” 

“I bought them from this cute little flower shop around the block, I met the cutest little thing while I was there, he told me that pink carnations meant that you missed the person you give them to!” Jeonghan said, looking very proud of this new information he learned.

“That’s great, baby,” Joshua said, hugging his boyfriend tighter. 

“Okay, that’s it, I’m saying something,” Chan said, standing up from the table, “who are you and what have you done with the man that lived on our couch for a week and made fun of every outfit I put on.” 

Joshua stuck his tongue out at Chan, rolling his eyes, “I haven’t seen my beautiful boyfriend in over a week, I’m allowed to be absolute mush.”

“Still weird,” Vernon snorted, “you’re usually snarky and whiny in the morning.”

Jeonghan shrugged, smiling at the two younger boys, “I guess I put him in a good mood. Anyways, enough questioning the love of my life, we have a very full schedule today and I’d like to be home before sunset so I can have some well deserved relaxation time with my boyfriend,” Jeonghan stood up, Joshua’s arms still awkwardly wrapped around him.

“You have plans?” Joshua asked, still latching onto Jeonghan as if his life depended on it. 

“Well, we need to get the boys moved into their apartment, you’re lucky I know the building manager here and was able to get a place a few floors down. It’s small but it’ll do for a few months,” Jeonghan continued, leaning into Joshua’s embrace even more somehow, “as much as I already love you two, I really do enjoy my alone time and would not like to babysit every night.” 

Vernon saw Chan about to open his mouth in protest, and shot him a look to stop him. He really didn’t have the patience to listen to Chan’s “I’m a whole ass adult” speech again. 

“And, I found a date party scheduled for this evening, it’s not one of the skeevy ones though, don’t worry. It’s essentially speed dating, to see if you find anyone you have a connection with,” Jeonghan looked proud of himself, “so we’re going to have to get you sorted out for that, Chan you could go too if you want, I reserved two spots.” 

Chan scrunched up his nose, “not really my thing, but thank you, I think I’m going to spend the evening settling into the apartment. Or maybe I’ll come bother you.”

“I said no babysitting,” Jeonghan sighed, “but I do like you and you’re very cute so if you absolutely must come over, you’re more than welcome anytime.”

“I did not agree to this,” Joshua whined. 

Jeonghan turned around, squeezing Joshua’s cheeks softly, “we both know I wear the pants in this relationship, babe.” 

 

Jeonghan wasn’t kidding when he said the apartment was small, it was a bit smaller than the New York apartment, and compared to Joshua and Jeonghan’s place, it was a shoebox. Vernon couldn’t complain though, the situation was livable, he was close to Joshua and Jeonghan who had quickly become like brother figures to him, and he was in the heart of Seoul. Right in the middle of exactly where he needed to be. 

He did complain about the fuss Jeonghan had made over what he had to wear to the speed dating event, however. 

“You look like an American stoner, like from one of those cheesy teenage movies,” Jeonghan huffed, digging through boxes of Vernon’s clothes. 

“It’s fashionable, haven’t you heard of street style?” Vernon groaned. 

Jeonghan rolled his eyes, “of course I have, I’m not ancient. But would it kill you to wear a nice sweater and some tighter jeans without holes every once in a while?” Jeonghan tsked, “you’re so cute, so much promise, but you desperately need my help. People really care about fashion in this city, you know? What if your soulmate is a fashion student and isn’t interested in you at first because you look like you rolled out of a Yumiez!” 

“A what?” Vernon asked, picking up his clothes as Jeonghan threw them around his unpacked room.

“That store! It’s popular in the states, they sell like, skater stuff or whatever,” Jeonghan pulled the last item of clothing out of the box, a flannel shirt, “this is sad. You’re just going to have to borrow something of mine,” he stood up, dusting his hands off on his pants as he left the room. 

“It’s Zumiez,” Vernon called back, worried about what Jeonghan was going to bring back for him, “and please, not pastels.” 

 

Jeonghan returned with something that Vernon didn’t absolutely hate, much to his satisfaction. It was a simple cream jumper, light enough that he wouldn’t get too warm in the spring afternoon, and a pair of simple, light wash skinny jeans with slight distress. Jeonghan tried to convince him to wear a matching button down underneath it, but no amount of begging and puppy eyes from the older man could convince Vernon. 

“See, you look presentable,” Jeonghan cooed, fussing over Vernon’s hair, “you should really grow your hair out a bit, you’d look good with longer hair.” 

Vernon scowled, “I feel like you’re my mother dressing me up for church.” 

“First impressions are everything Hansol-ah,” Jeonghan said, smiling as he adjusted Vernon’s jumper for the hundredth time, “and if I’m not here to baby you, how on Earth are you going to figure all of this out? You should be thanking me.” 

Vernon rolled his eyes, “I am thankful, thank you Jeonghan.” 

“You better be being nice to my boyfriend,” Joshua said, walking into the room holding an ID badge, “I got your badge for the event, we’re going to leave in a bit. Chan is already knocked out so I guess he is for sure going to miss out.” 

He looked Vernon up and down, offering a small smile, “you look good. Different, but good,” he said, placing a protective hand on Vernon’s shoulder, “Jeonghan is just excited, you know? He doesn’t mean to come off too strong or anything. If you’re really uncomfortable you’re more than welcome to change, this is about you.” 

Vernon shook his head, looking in the mirror, “I actually kind of like it, maybe not for everyday but… it’s not awful,” he said, admiring his reflection. 

“See, Hannie knows best!” Jeonghan exclaimed, wagging a finger at them, “anyways, you two better get going. I’m going to go back to the apartment and make some dinner for me and Channie, he must be starving.” 

“What about me?” Joshua whined, “you know I love your noodles.” 

Jeonghan rolled his eyes, “you’ll eat at the event, and if you’re really so insistent, I’ll save you some leftovers. You too Vernon, just incase the food there is awful.” 

“You’re the best,” Joshua said, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to his boyfriend’s lips, “we’ll see you after, you and I have a Netflix date tonight.” 

Jeonghan nodded excitedly, “Netflix and chill, I can’t wait,” he winked before shooting a glance at Vernon, “come to our apartment before you come home tonight, I want to hear all the details as soon as possible.”

“What about Netflix and chill?” Joshua pouted. 

Jeonghan stood up from the mess of clothing on the floor and enveloped Joshua in a huge hug, “I love you, but I am also very invested in this child’s search for his soulmate, so Netflix and chill will be pushed back a bit.” 

Joshua groaned, “suddenly I wish your soulmate  _ wasn’t _ in Seoul, Vernon.” 

 

Vernon stood outside the bustling restaurant nervously fidgeting with the hem of Jeonghan’s sweater. If it hadn’t been for Joshua anchoring him down to the spot, he probably would have left already. 

Vernon didn’t date, and maybe that had been part of his problem, but he was just so terribly awkward. He was horrible at starting conversations, and even if he did somehow worm his way into one with someone, he’d immediately say something weird because he became so flustered. Especially if the person was attractive, and from what he could tell from staring into the crowded restaurant, there were a lot of attractive people there.

“I’m not sure about this…” Vernon admitted, shooting a nervous glance at Joshua, “are you sure this is necessary? Like, is there any other reason I’m doing this other than your boyfriend wants me to?” 

Joshua snorted, “I know I’m whipped for Jeonghan, but I wouldn’t make you do anything that didn’t feel right in my intuition machine. My number one goal is to help you, surprisingly enough.” 

“Intuition machine?” Vernon raised an eyebrow.  

Joshua shrugged, “not sure what else I would call it, gut feeling I guess, listening to my heart or whatever,” he looked at Vernon for a moment, reaching forward to fuss with the rolled cuffs of his sweater for the millionth time, “anyways, this is completely necessary. I can’t promise this is where you’ll meet your soulmate, but I can promise it’s a step in the right direction,”

Joshua hesitated, smiling softly, “I know I’m kind of sarcastic, maybe even a little mean,” 

Vernon laughed, “a little?” 

“A lot, maybe,” Joshua rolled his eyes and continued, “but I do take this very seriously, and I care a lot more than I let on. Just… trust me, okay?” 

Vernon nodded, offering a small smile, “I think I’m starting to, thank you, Joshua. Are you going in with me?” 

Joshua scoffed, “hell no, I never want to be seen in one of these functions ever again, I did my fair share of them on my search and they’re awful. No need to worry though!” Joshua smiled, “I’m sure you’ll do great, I’ll be across the street at that coffee shop, hopefully find you a job.” 

Vernon groaned, “another coffee shop?” 

“It’s money, and you need money to take your future suitors on dates. Jeonghan might give you the clothes off his back, but you’re going to have to support yourself, kiddo,” Joshua smiled, “okay, go in now, you’re going to be late, I’ll see you in two hours.” 

Before he could protest any further, Vernon was pushed through the door of the restaurant, greeted with the overwhelming scent of cheap sushi and even cheaper perfume. He could immediately feel the desperation and fear radiating off of the people around him, they were all here for a reason and it wasn’t one to take lightly. 

He immediately headed towards the bar, thankful that at the very least he wouldn’t have to worry himself with the anxiety of his fake ID not working. He ordered a drink by pointing, not fully committed to using his words yet because in all honesty, his Korean was still a little rusty after months of not using it. 

He found that sipping the drink is nice because it gives him something to do before the event officially starts, so he doesn’t look like a complete weirdo standing in the corner picking at the bits of frayed fabric on his jeans. Not to mention the slight buzz of alcohol helps in soothing his nerves, something much needed for the occasion. 

“Welcome,” a clear voice said from across the room, Vernon looked up, the butterflies in his stomach multiplying by the second.

“The speed dating event is about to begin, please take a seat at any open table, you will have five minutes to get to know each person. At the end of the speed dating, you are welcome to approach anyone you have felt a connection to and ask for a second date. We do ask that you do not physically interact, however, due to legal concerns.” 

Vernon sighed, downing the rest of his drink before heading over to an empty chair at the very end of the room. Echoes of doubt rang in his head, and he promised to himself that he’d never let Joshua hear the end of it if the event went badly. 

His first match is a young woman with a kind face, but Vernon found as they started talking that she was far too quiet to be a good match for him. She seemed nice enough, and is strikingly pretty, but other than that the conversation is dry and they don’t seem to have much in common. He winced as they said their awkward goodbyes and rotate seats at the end of five minutes. This was already off to a bad start. 

If the first girl was awkward, the next man is absolutely horrible. He can already tell that this man has no interest in speaking with other men, obviously very adamantly believing that his soulmate would be a woman. Vernon tried to keep the conversation light, still wanting to make a good first impression, but he couldn’t help but think about how devastated he would be if someone like this was his soulmate.

The next few people are fine, two girls, another man, all of them are nice enough, attractive enough, but their conversations are stiff and there is a blatant lack of spark. As the night progresses he can see the discouragement on the faces of his fellow seekers, and he knows that his face probably isn’t hiding much either. 

It isn’t until he meets his thirteenth match that he feels like maybe this night wasn’t such a waste. He’s about the same height as Vernon, handsome with pouty lips and ridiculously long eyelashes.

“Holy shit I’m sick of this,” he groaned as he sits across from Vernon, running a frustrated hand through his dark hair, “I’m Seungcheol, sorry for not being charming or whatever, I really just want to get out of here and grab a drink.” 

Vernon snorted, “no, thank you for  _ not _ trying to be charming. All the fake smiles and laughs are starting to get really annoying. I’m Vernon.” 

“Your badge says Hansol,” Seungcheol laughed, relief spread on his face as he realizes Vernon isn’t going to be another robotic person who just asks him what his favorite color is. 

“Ah, yeah,” Vernon grabbed his badge absentmindedly, “it’s my legal first name, but I’ve always gone by Vernon, it’s my middle name. It’s really common back home.”

“So you aren’t from here?” Seungcheol asked, his eyebrow raised in intrigue.

Vernon shook his head, “no, I just got here last night, actually. I was born and raised in America.” 

“So what brings you here then, American boy?” 

Vernon rolled his eyes, “embarrassingly long story, not nearly enough time to tell you. It’s a juicy one though, I’ll tell you that.” 

“Well,” Seungcheol said as he eyes the timer in the corner of the room, “our time is almost done, but find me afterwards. You’re the first person to interest me all night.” 

Vernon nodded, hoping he isn’t blushing too much, “y-yeah, will do,” he stuttered.

The alarm rings and it’s time for them to move again, “see you in a bit,” Seungcheol smiled easily, and Vernon wants to combust. 

 

Vernon meets twenty more people after Seungcheol, and by the end of it, he is exhausted. He sort of wishes he never has to talk to anyone again, but at the same time he is on a mission to find the older boy. 

He isn’t sure if there is really anything there more than a great friendship, but either way he wants to get to know Seungcheol. Something about him seems easy, like finding a long lost friend you never knew you had. 

“Hey,” he said, slipping into English on accident before rushing to correct himself, “oh, sorry, still not used to speaking in Korean, hi.” 

Seungcheol laughed, sipping on a fruity drink, “I know what  _ hey _ means, Vernon. Hey yourself. Find anyone interesting?”

Vernon shook his head, “no, not really. You’re the only one who didn’t seem completely boring.” 

Seungcheol snorted at this, “right back at ya. Listen, I don’t think these things ever work, I’m not sure why I even come to them,” he hesitated and Vernon can see softness rising from beneath his cool-guy facade, “but you seem really cool, and I think we could definitely be friends. Not sure about the whole soulmate thing but…”

“No, I agree,” Vernon said quickly, “you seem great, I’d be willing to try dating if you wanted to?” 

Seungcheol smiled, a genuine, bright, smile, “I’d love that, do you want to meet up tomorrow? Unless that’s too soon, I’m not sure, I’m shit at this.” 

“No that’s perfect,” Vernon said, grabbing a pen to write his number down on one of the post it note pads the company had lying around, “here’s my number, just text me when and where you want to meet.” 

Seungcheol took the paper, folding it neatly and placing it in the back pocket of his black jeans before downing the rest of his drink, “well, I’m going to head out now. My roommate gets pissed if I come in any later than 11PM, says the noise ruins his sleep cycle. Expect my texts soon.” 

Vernon smiled back, “sounds great.” 

He takes one last sip of his drink and thinks that maybe Joshua is trustworthy, afterall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yayeet my twitter is @rosydoky :)


	5. V4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> long boy long boy long boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i really hope you're enjoying this fic so far, bc i really enjoy writing it! if you're interested in a more fun/less serious work of mine, follow me on twitter @rosydoky where i'm going to start posting a verkwan twitter au! anyways thanks for the love and support i get so excited when i check this fic and see the kudos/comments <3

Vernon arrived at Joshua and Jeonghan’s apartment, pleasantly buzzed from the few drinks he had and the rush of meeting someone with actual potential. The walk home with Joshua was quiet, as he had told Vernon to spare any details of his encounters because Jeonghan would be deeply disappointed if he wasn’t the first to hear them.

He doesn’t expect Jeonghan and Chan to practically tackle him when he walks through the front door, however. 

“Vernonnie!” Chan exclaimed, hugging his roommate tightly, “me and Hannie hyung have just been watching some weird American cooking show, he said it’s Joshua’s favorite.” 

“Have you been drinking?” Vernon asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he looks down at his best friend.

“We had a few glasses of wine, we were so bored,” Jeonghan sighed dramatically, “now hurry up and come sit down, I want to hear  _ everything _ .” 

Joshua clicked his tongue, “it’s late, can’t this wait til morning?” he pouted at Jeonghan, “I just want to cuddle.” 

Jeonghan placed his hands on either side of Joshua’s face, squishing his cheeks together and placing a loud kiss on his forehead, “of course it can’t wait, silly. I’ll give you extra cuddles as soon as Vernon spills all the juicy details!”

Jeonghan shot Vernon a glance, smiling mischievously, “I can already tell you met someone, you’re smiling like an idiot. Who was it? Maybe we know them!” 

Vernon ran a hand through his hair nervously, suddenly feeling like he couldn’t really speak, “uh… well he is around your age, I think?” 

“Oh! A boy!” Jeonghan said excitedly, leaning in closer as if he wouldn’t be able to hear Vernon speak if he wasn’t basically sitting on his lap, “what’s his name? Where does he go to school? Does he even go to school?” 

Vernon blushed, “we actually didn’t talk much about that kind of stuff… all I really know is that his name is Seungcheol. I gave him my number, we’re going to see each other again tomorrow.” 

Jeonghan squealed and Joshua sighed, “are you sure it’s safe for you to meet up with him? You know the whole point of this was to get to know someone, and you barely know his name!”

Jeonghan pushed his boyfriend playfully, “oh stop, you’re being overprotective. It’s cute! Mysterious! Plus we’re going to go with him, so he’ll be perfectly safe.” 

“Excuse me?” Vernon asked, looking at the two older men like they were crazy. Chan had already left the conversation, opting to curl up on the couch and fall asleep. 

“You really think I’d let you go out in a city you barely know and meet up with some random older guy you just met, all on your own?” Jeonghan snorted, “yeah right, we’ll follow you to the date, and hide somewhere. You won’t even notice we’re there.” 

Vernon glanced at Joshua, hoping he’d talk some sense into his boyfriend, but he just shrugged. 

“I completely agree, as your guide it’s my duty to help and protect you. Chan will come too, just so he doesn’t feel left out.” 

Vernon sighed, covering his forehead with his hand, “okay, fine. Just don’t embarrass me, okay? And if you’re going to come along on my date, I get to pick what I wear this time. No interference, whatsoever,” he shot a glance at Jeonghan.  

Jeonghan placed a hand on his chest, looking insulted, “that outfit you’re wearing landed you a date with a cute boy, you should be thanking me.” 

Vernon smiled softly, he wouldn’t say it outloud, in fear that it would be weird and far too sentimental, but he was thankful. For Chan who had followed him across the world just because he was a great best friend, for Jeonghan who had welcomed him into his heart with tight hugs and endless taunting, and for Joshua, who really was trying his hardest to help him find his soulmate. 

He fell asleep in his new apartment, still not use to the unfamiliarity of his new room or how close to the ground his bed was, but something inside him felt content, warm. He fell asleep wondering if Seungcheol would be his soulmate, and decided even if he wasn’t, he would be okay with just having him as a friend.

The universe had a funny way of working things out, and for the first time in a long time, Vernon felt okay with that. 

 

Vernon woke up from another dreamless night, the claws of anxiety dragging slightly in his stomach, but he shook it off quickly. This was normal. Nobody ever got dreams every single day for days in a row, they were supposed to be special, once every few weeks maybe.

But still, he was a bit worried. 

He quickly found he didn’t have time to be worried, however, because he woke up to the sound of his doorbell ringing continuously. He groaned, knowing that once he opened that door, he wouldn’t have a second of alone time for the rest of the day. 

Before he could even roll out of bed he heard Chan clamber from his own room, yelling, “I got it!” as he ran to the front door. Vernon smiled to himself, glad that Chan was getting along well with Joshua and Jeonghan. 

It was only a matter of seconds before Jeonghan was making his way into Vernon’s room completely unannounced, as if that was a totally normal thing to do to someone you’d only met a day before.

“Good morning, Hansol-ah,” Jeonghan said in a sing-songy voice, waltzing over to the window in Vernon’s room and pulling open the blinds, “it’s a new day! A good one at that!” 

“Way too chipper, you’re acting as if you had a dream or something” Vernon groaned, feeling a hint of a headache as the light washed into the room, he never really could handle his liquor. 

“I’m just a morning person,” Jeonghan remarked quickly, and Vernon thought he saw a hint of a blush flush across his cheeks, and was about to ask something, but Joshua walked in carrying a large canvas bag before he could even open his mouth.

“Morning, Vernon,” he said cheerfully, placing the bag on the end of his bed, “sleep well? First night in your apartment and what not.” 

“You,” Vernon said, squinting his eyes and pointing at the two older boys, “are far too cheerful this morning, and I have a headache. Can we please tone it down, just a bit.” 

Joshua shrugged, “maybe the next time you go to an event you shouldn’t drink, because apparently you are a lightweight prone to hangovers. Chan probably had double the amount of you and he’s making breakfast for all four of us right now.” 

“Anyways, tone it down?” Jeonghan said with a gasp, “Vernonie, you have a date tonight, with a potential soulmate, you should be absolutely bubbling over with excitement. Hell, I am, and it’s not even my love life!” 

Vernon smiled, he had to admit, he  _ was  _ pretty excited about his upcoming date, but was trying not to get his hopes up. Seungcheol seemed great, but something deep inside of Vernon was telling him that he was not the end game, but instead a piece of his puzzle. An important piece, at that, but not the complete picture nonetheless. 

“I am excited,” he said with a quiet chuckle, “also nervous, and a little hungover. Thanks for being ridiculously ecstatic for me though, I guess.” 

“Anytime,” Jeonghan said, smiling wide and reaching forward to pinch Vernon’s cheek. 

“Yah,” Vernon swatted away his hand, “still too early for that. Anyways, what is that?” He pointed at the large bag, still sitting nearly forgotten at the foot of his bed. 

“Oh, yeah,” Joshua reached into the bag, pulling out two aprons, “I found jobs for you and Chan, pulled some strings with one of my old friends from a guitar class I took a few years back. You’ll start tomorrow.” 

Vernon raised an eyebrow, “they aren’t even going to interview us?” 

Joshua shrugged, “he trusts me, we don’t see each other much but we have a mutual understanding of each other I guess. He manages that coffee shop I showed you last night.” 

Vernon decided not to question it further, instead he thanked Joshua for the opportunity and promptly shooed the two men out of his room so he could shower. 

He walked out of his room a bit later, feeling better after a hot shower and a bottle of room temperature water he found in his carry on bag. He could smell eggs cooking in the kitchen, thankful that Chan was cooking this morning, albeit a little scared considering the last time he cooked he nearly burnt down their old apartment. 

“Morning,” he said, entering the kitchen feeling much more alive than he had earlier. 

“Finally,” Jeonghan sighed, “I was getting really sick of the whole grumpy attitude. You should really try napping throughout the day, power naps have actually been proven to help a lot with your sleep schedule-”

“You’re only saying that because it makes you feel better for napping so often,” Joshua laughed, shooting a smile at his boyfriend. 

Jeonghan pushed him playfully, rolling his eyes, “it’s true! Plus, rest is good for your skin. That’s why I’m going to look twenty years younger than Jisoo and everyone is going to think he’s my sugar daddy but in reality I’m the older one.” 

“That’s hot,” Joshua smiled, wiggling his eyebrows at Jeonghan as the other man mewled at him like a kitten.

“You guys are disgusting,” Vernon groaned, “my soulmate and I will never be this gross, I can promise that.” 

Jeonghan snorted, “yeah right, you’re going to be the cheesiest of us all. You’re already lovesick and you haven’t even met them.” 

Vernon pouted, “not true, just because I’m a romantic doesn’t mean I’ll be so  _ loud  _ about it.” 

“Keep telling yourself that, bud,” Joshua laughed, “hey, do you guys smell something burning?” 

They all looked over at Chan, who was too busy playing a video game on his phone to realize that he was burning their breakfast. 

Vernon let out a shaky breath as he looked into the mirror, his nerves suddenly catching up with him. His day had went by smoothly, after Chan had burned breakfast, they ended up eating leftover noodles Jeonghan had made the night before. The rest of the day was spent unpacking the remainder of their boxes and making their apartment feel like home, with plenty of breaks for the four of them to have a dance off in the spacious living room. Vernon had to admit, there were some advantages to not having any real furniture. 

But now, it was only an hour before his date with Seungcheol, and all of the butterflies in his stomach seemed to be fluttering at once. He dressed himself this time, opting for something he felt more comfortable wearing, much to the annoyance of Jeonghan who really wanted to put him in yet another stuffy sweater. 

“Are you ready?” Jeonghan asked, coming up behind him and wrapping his arms around his shoulders lovingly, “you look cute, for being dressed like a stoner or whatever, if that makes you feel any better.” 

“I’m fine,” Vernon grumbled, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of the older man. 

“No,” Chan said matter of factly, “you’re nervous as fuck. I know you too well for you to lie, man.” 

Vernon rolled his eyes, “I have reason to be nervous, okay?” 

“It’ll be fine,” Joshua said, looking completely unbothered and uninterested in the conversation, “you’ll have a good time. We need to go by that flower shop before you meet him.” 

“Wait, what do you know?” Vernon asked, “holy shit why haven’t I been bugging you this entire time, you’re like psychic. Is the date going to go well?” 

Joshua let out a dramatic sigh, “how many times do I have to explain that I am not psychic, I just have a high intuition and pick up on things. The dates going to go well, so please, relax.” He added a gentle smile at the end, standing up to wrap his arms around Jeonghan, effectively creating a Jeonghan sandwich between the two of them. 

“You’re both so clingy,” Vernon complained, “it’s like I have two older brothers who never leave me alone.” 

“That’s the idea,” Jeonghan said proudly, squeezing him tighter before letting go completely and pushing him out the door, “now let’s go, we need to go get flowers and then figure out disguises for us.”

“I don’t think we really need disguises,” Chan said, an amused expression on his face.

“Maybe not,” Jeonghan said, “but it’ll be fun, plus I look really good in hats.” 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Vernon asked. 

“Hats? Yes, Joshua and I look fantastic in them,” Jeonghan nodded, a serious look on his face. 

“No,” Vernon rolled his eyes, “flowers, like what if he thinks it’s weird. I’ve never done this before, I’ve only ever been on one date in high school and she told me I smelled weird and left early to go see a movie with her friends.” 

“That is just so sad,” Joshua said quietly, “please never tell that story again.”

“Yes, it’s a good idea,” Jeonghan said, sounding exasperated, “everyone loves flowers, plus I made a new friend at the flower shop the other day and I want to see him!”

Vernon sighed, “fine, but if he thinks it’s weird I bought him flowers and never speaks to me again, you’re completely accountable,” Vernon pointed a finger and Jeonghan, making the older boy laugh.

“Trust me, I’m the king of charms.” 

 

The flower shop  _ was  _ cute, just as Jeonghan had described the entire walk there. He was sad to realize that his friend hadn’t been working, however, and decided to force Joshua to take him and Chan to a small boutique across the street to find hats for their “disguises”. Vernon figured it was just a way to make Joshua buy him a new accessory. 

So that left Vernon alone and clueless in a flower shop, not even knowing what kind of arrangement to ask for. 

“Do you need any help?” a warm voice asked from behind him, making Vernon jump a little as he turned around, “oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” 

Vernon looked at the stranger, who he assumed must be the florist on duty. He had a kind face with a smile that reached all the way up to his eyes. He was adorning an unfinished flower crown that he must have been working on for quite some time, considering the intricate details. 

“Uh, yeah, I think,” Vernon said shyly, “I have a date tonight, a first date,” he cleared his throat, “with a guy, who might be my soulmate? I’m not sure about that part really, we met at one of those weird speed dating events, and I really just have no idea what the hell I’m doing and my friends left me here to go buy hats because they’re going to watch us on our date but they insisted I buy flowers and honestly? I know absolutely nothing about flowers and I’ve never bought a bouquet in my life so-” 

The stranger laughed, placing a warm hand on Vernon’s shoulder, “slow your roll, kid, it’s just flowers.” 

“Sorry,” Vernon blushed, “I get carried away when I’m nervous. Can you help me?” 

“Of course, I’ll pick out something simple for you. Nothing too crazy, just to show that you care. I’m thinking sunflowers, they’re so beautiful this time of year,” the worker paused to look at Vernon seriously, “also don’t apologize for the word vomit, my friends never shut up, I’m used to it.” 

Vernon let out a relieved breath, “thanks. You’ve actually made me feel better than all my friends have this evening. I’m Vernon, by the way.” 

“I’m Seokmin,” the other man said, shaking Vernon’s hand vigorously, “I’m going to go get that arrangement for you now. Hold tight and don’t sweat through your shirt.” 

Vernon smiled, grateful for the kind man and feeling immediately more comfortable. 

Seokmin came back quickly, a bouquet of sunflowers wrapped neatly in a simple white ribbon in tow. 

“These should be perfect,” he said, handing them to Vernon with a smile. 

“They look great, I think,” Vernon said awkwardly, “I know nothing about flowers, if you can’t tell. How much do I owe you?” 

Seokmin shook his head, “on the house, just this once, and only because I feel bad for you. You’re kind of a mess, man.” 

Vernon laughed, “I’ve heard that before, thanks. I’ll probably see you around sometime.” 

Seokmin nodded, “come by whenever, I’ll make you and your mysterious friends some flower crowns.” 

“Don’t encourage them,” Vernon groaned, before leaving the store feeling a lot better than he had before. 

 

Whatever nerves had dissipated during his conversation with Seokmin had come back full force, and Vernon was sure he’d be sick as he stood in front of a restaurant holding a bouquet of sunflowers for a boy he had met the night before. 

He could feel the stares of his friends as they sat inside the small restaurant already, near a window so they could see everything, Jeonghan and Chan wearing ridiculous hats. He had to admit, having them there did make him feel a little better, and seeing them in the ugly hats made him feel a lot better. 

He shifted back and forth on his feet nervously, suddenly realizing that he could very well be stood up. _ Wouldn’t that be embarrassing _ , he thought, he finally lands a date and the guy doesn’t even show up! At least he didn’t have to pay for the flowers. 

“Vernon?” a familiar voice said, approaching him carefully and breaking him out of his anxious trance. Vernon looked over quickly, a smile falling on his face when he saw that he indeed did not get stood up. 

“Hey,” he said, feeling kind of breathless, “these are… um… for you? My friends made me I’m sorry if this is weird-” 

Seungcheol laughed, “it’s not weird, it’s endearing,” he took the flowers from him with a smile, “thanks, Vernon.” 

Vernon felt a blush rise to his cheeks, “no problem, should we go in?” 

Seungcheol nodded, awkwardly holding the flowers as they walked into the restaurant together. 

“You know,” Vernon said, as they took a seat, “I’m just now realizing, what the hell are you supposed to do with flowers on a date? Like do you just, hold them in your lap? They never show that in the movies. Should I hold them for you? Should we ask for a vase?” 

Seungcheol laughed loudly, surprising Vernon by how unique his laugh was. 

“I don’t know, actually. I was just thinking the same thing,” Seungcheol said, laying the bouquet on the table and looking at it in confusion. 

“I knew flowers were a bad idea,” Vernon groaned, “they just made things awkward.” 

“No, the gesture is still nice, the execution is just a little off,” Seungcheol smiled, “anyways, I’m starving, so enough of this flower crisis. I want food.” 

The two of them ordered enough food for a small army, not ashamed of how much they both ate. They quickly fell into easy conversation, sipping on warm beers and eating until they felt content. 

“Hey,” Seungcheol said, his face a little red from the alcohol and laughter, “I never asked, what flower shop did you get these from?” 

“Oh,” Vernon furrowed his brows, “just one around the corner? Is there like, flower shops I should avoid or something?”

Seungcheol let out another of his infamous laughs, “no, no. My best friend slash roommate owns that flower shop, so I was just curious. Glad you’re supporting his business.” 

“Actually,” Vernon said, a playful smile on his face, “don’t get him fired or anything, but the guy working there gave me these flowers for free.” 

Seungcheol snorted, “Seungkwan? Sounds like him, you’re his type.” 

Vernon shook his head, “no, Seokmin. He felt bad for me because I was so nervous,” Vernon smiled, “I was really scared this was going to be awkward.” 

Seungcheol nodded, “Seokmin is a good guy, really kind. I was worried this was going to be awkward too,” he looked at him seriously, “but it’s not.” 

Vernon saw the hesitation in his eyes, and somehow he knew what was coming. 

“This isn’t it though, you know?” Seungcheol said, a small, somewhat sad smile on his face. 

Vernon took another swig of his beer and nodded, “yeah, I think I’ve known since I met you. But I think we were supposed to become friends anyways. Like some cosmic force is bringing us together, just like, platonically.” 

Seungcheol laughed, “I agree. I’m glad we met, even if we aren’t soulmates.”

“Cheers to that,” Vernon said, tipping his glass towards Seungcheol’s, “you know… since we definitely aren’t soulmates, I guess I can tell you that my friends have been here the whole time because they’re fucking weird.” 

The older boy snorted, nearly spitting out his drinks, “please tell me they’re the ones in the ridiculous hats, and if they are, I want to meet them. Immediately.” 

Vernon smiled, “boy, do I have good news for you.” 

 

The five of them somehow ended up in a dim park, it was well past midnight but they were having too much fun to go home quite yet. Seungcheol ended up being a good fit, Jeonghan and Joshua found that he was the perfect target for their teasing antics, and Chan immediately found him to be the most charming person he’d ever met, even admitting that he thought he was cooler than the other three of them combined. 

So they sat on a swing set in an empty park, chatting away and drinking coke sold from a soda machine nearby. Seungcheol’s bouquet was now taken apart, the group of them each taking a few flowers and sticking them behind their ears. A part of him wished Mingyu and Jihoon could be there, knowing that Jihoon was probably the only person to walk the Earth who could bridle the energy of Joshua and Jeonghan. He made the mental note to beg them to come visit next time they spoke on the phone. 

For the first time in a long time, regardless of the situation, Vernon felt content. Something inside of him was telling him he was on the right track, that things were starting to look up. He was in a city that felt like home, he was on his way to meeting his soulmate, and hell, he even made some friends along the way. 

It was so still that night, summer was beckoning the city and everything was calm, the warm air kissed their skin and made the world seem new. And it was new, it was all new. 


	6. SK 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll keep it real honest with ya chiefs... i struggled writing this chapter in particular which is why it took so long, but i finally got it to a point where i don't hate it!! it's definitely a filler chapter, but stuff will be moving forward quite a bit after this :) thanks to everyone who's commented/left kudos, your support means a lot to me! also thanks again to my beta, denna, who always has been a huge help with writing this :^) follow her on twitter @hootyhoon, and find me on twitter @rosydoky!

He wakes up with the unfamiliar feeling of disappointment welling in his stomach, making a home there as if he hasn’t spent the last 21 years not caring about when and where he is going to meet his soulmate. He had told himself a million times that it would happen when it was meant to happen, and he wholeheartedly believed that, so why was it becoming so difficult all of the sudden?

He wondered if having a dramatic influx of dreams had anything to do with this, maybe there were withdrawal symptoms after having them so regularly for a while, but he wasn’t sure. All he really knew was that he was annoyed, and deep down, worried more than anything.

He couldn’t help but think that these feelings were hinting at something bad, what if he never got dreams again? What if his soulmate had died, or worse, fallen in love with someone else? It wasn’t common but it wasn’t unheard of, and Seungkwan wasn’t sure he’d be able to deal with that sort of pain at any capacity.

He shook off the aching feeling in his heart, reminding himself that things would always work themselves out, the universe was working hard every day to connect soulmates to each other, he just had to be patient and let it do it’s work.

He walked into the kitchen where Soonyoung was cooking eggs, joined with Seokmin who was already drinking a huge cup of black coffee. He wondered if he looked as tired as his friend did.

“Morning,” he said, still groggy from sleep.

“Good morning, starshine,” Soonyoung sang, “sleep well? Any dreams?”

Seungkwan shook his head, “no, not for the last three nights or so. Seems like things are back to normal.”

Soonyoung snorted, “there isn’t anything normal about this universe, Kwannie. Anyways, I’m making breakfast so take a seat and wait for your masterpiece of an omelet to be served.”

“He had a dream,” Seokmin whispered, a small smile playing on his face, “if you couldn’t tell. And he said it’s going to happen soon, he looked like his present day self.”

Seungkwan’s eyes widened, looking over at his friend who was happily humming along as he cooked, glowing and smiling from ear to ear.

“Wow,” Seungkwan mumbled, running a hand through his hair before shooting a worried glance at Seokmin, “are you okay?”

Seokmin smiled genuinely, “it’s hard, but I’m happy for him, obviously. I’m also very intrigued to see who it is. I wonder if it’s anyone we know.”

Seungkwan nodded, “what if it’s like… Seungcheol. They might be a good match, you know? Oh, or that girl that’s always coming into the coffee shop?”

Soonyoung turned around quickly, pointing a spatula at the two of them, “my love life is not a betting pool for you slugs, and my soulmate sure as hell isn’t Seungcheol. We’ve made out.”

“Ew,” Seungkwan said, scrunching his nose, “suddenly I’ve lost my appetite.”

Soonyoung rolled his eyes, setting two plates down in front of his friends, “shut up and eat your omelets.”

 

Somehow Seungkwan ended up in Wonwoo’s meticulously clean apartment, sitting on his couch with his laptop sitting in front of him, his screen blank and his mind even more so.

“I really can’t do this,” he groaned, placing his head in his hands, “I’m so bad at writing music, I’m absolutely hopeless.”

Wonwoo frowned, patting him in support albeit a little awkwardly, “come on, just write about something you feel intensely. It’ll come naturally that way.”

Seungkwan groaned louder, digging his fingers into his hair, “my mind is really blank, hyung. Can’t you just write something for me?”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes, “first of all, I don’t participate in cheating. Second, I’m not great at writing anything that isn’t a rap, and your professor would know it wasn’t you who wrote it. I can help you, but you’re really on your own here kid.”

Seungkwan pouted, staring at his screen intently, wishing the words would just appear on his screen.

Wonwoo sighed, “listen, you’re making this so much harder than it needs to be. Just, write from your heart, the rest will work itself out.”

“No offense, but that really doesn’t help,” Seungkwan whined, “my heart doesn’t know shit! I just want an A on this project!”

“Why don’t you try texting that guy you met at the shop the other day, he was a music major, right? He’ll probably be loads more help than I am,” Wonwoo said, standing up from the couch, “now I’ve gotta get to the shop, lock up when you leave, okay? Seungcheol still isn’t home from his date, which probably means it went well, so I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”

Seungkwan nodded absentmindedly, waving his older friend off as he continued to stare at the screen. He heard the door click closed as Wonwoo left, leaving him alone with his lack of ideas and looming project that he had only a few weeks to complete.

Being a musician was his passion but that didn’t mean it came easy to him, it took years of practicing until his throat was hoarse and tears streamed down his face, and that was when he was just singing for fun. Now, he was trying to make a career of it, and even if he loved it with every fibre of his being, he still had a hard time with some of the work it entailed, especially when it came to writing.

He eyed his phone, wondering if he should take Wonwoo’s advice and text Jeonghan. They had talked a bit the day before after Jeonghan had texted him drunkenly at 2AM, asking him what his favorite cooking show was.

He stared at his empty screen, then back at the text log between him and Jeonghan, and decided it was worth asking at the very least. He sent the message before he could convince himself otherwise and laid back on the couch, sighing.

He heard the door open as Seungcheol walked in, looking a bit hungover and disheveled from his night out.

“What’s up?” he asked, his voice rough from sleep as he walked into the living room, plopping down next to Seungkwan and looking at the screen of his computer.

“Trying to write lyrics,” Seungkwan smiled feebly, “want to write them for me?”

Seungcheol snorted, “you know Wonwoo does most of our writing, I just add in a few verses and go over what he’s written, make sure it’s not too cheesy. Sorry, kid.”

Seungkwan frowned, “it’s okay, I actually just asked one of my friends for help, he’s a music major too. Hopefully he’ll have some insight. How was your date?”

Seungcheol smiled fondly, “weird? But good. Definitely not my soulmate, but a really cool guy. I think I’m going to invite him and his friends to our party on Friday, they’d get along well with the group.”

“Party?” Seungkwan asked, his face lighting up, if there was anything he really needed amongst all his current stress, it was a party.

“Won didn’t tell you? We’re having a party to celebrate Soonyoung and Jun’s birthdays, a little early but it was the only day we all seem to have free,” Seungcheol explained, “plus, we both just want a reason to get plastered, really.”

“Understandable, me too,” Seungkwan sighed, glancing at his phone to see he got a text from Jeonghan inviting him out for coffee, “I have to go, my friend is going to help me with my project, thank God _someone_ cares enough to help me.”

Seungcheol rolled his eyes, “you’re so dramatic. I’ll see you on Friday, I’ll introduce you to the guys I met last night, they’re an absolute riot. Seokmin actually met one of them already...” Seungcheol trailed off, rambling about some random encounter one of the guys had with Seokmin at the flower shop, talking nonsense about some gaudy hats.

Seungkwan gathered his stuff, not really paying attention but nodding along as Seungcheol ranted on about his new friends.

 

He really wasn’t sure why he was nervous, maybe it was because Jeonghan was just so attractive that it was kind of intimidating, or maybe it was because he was worried he’d never get this project done, fail out of school, and have to leave the country out of shame. Nevertheless, he was nervous.

He sat in the coffee shop, his laptop opened to the same blank document he had been staring at for hours, sipping on tea and thanking whatever genius made caffeine.

Jeonghan was late, which he kind of expected for whatever reason, the older boy seemed like the type to do things on his own time. Not out of disrespect, just out of pure confidence in his own abilities to make anything work. Seungkwan wondered if this was a superpower.

He walked in ten minutes after Seungkwan, looking tired but still angelic as ever, a smile gracing his face as he walked over to the younger boy in the corner of the shop.

“Hey,” he said, his voice breathy as if he had just ran all the way there, “sorry I’m late, accidentally fell back to sleep for a bit. My boyfriend says my napping is becoming a bad habit.”

Seungkwan frowned, “oh, I hope I didn’t wake you or anything, I don’t want to be a burden.”

“No, no,” Jeonghan said quickly, smiling brightly, “this is good. My boyfriend actually brought work home this week, and as much as I’ve loved helping, it’s nice to have a little break from the work.”

Seungkwan relaxed, relieved that he wasn’t annoying his new friend only a few days into their relationship, “what does your boyfriend do?”

Jeonghan sighed dramatically, “I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. If you guys meet he’ll probably tell you, though. It’s just not my place, y’know?”

Seungkwan nodded, “I’d love to meet him, he sounds great. Do you guys have plans Friday? My friends are having a little party and we could always use more people to play drinking games with,” he said, he figured Wonwoo and Seungcheol wouldn’t mind having a couple more people over, considering their parties were usually really small due to their small friend group.

Jeonghan frowned, “that sounds great, but we actually do have plans, sorry. Next time, though! I want to meet your friends,” he smiled brightly, “now, let’s work on these lyrics.”

 

An hour and two coffees later, Seungkwan had the bare bones of a ballad, most of which written by Jeonghan who was actually pretty decent at writing lyrics.

“I think my brain is fried,” Seungkwan groaned, leaning back and closing his eyes, “I’m gonna call it a day, I told my boss I’d help close the shop. Thanks for your help, I’d have nothing done without you.”

Jeonghan smiled, taking a sip from his huge mug of chamomile tea, “it’s no problem, if you want to meet up again just text me. This semester has been kind of slow, so I’m not too busy unless I’m helping Jisoo with his work.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” Seungkwan sighed, smiling softly at the older boy, “do you want to come by the shop? I can get you a free bouquet, it’s the least I can do for all your help.”

Jeonghan waved his hands, shaking his head, “no need for that, we still have that gorgeous arrangement from the other day sitting on our counter. Plus one of your coworkers just gave my friend a free bouquet yesterday, we’re going to put you out of business.”

Seungkwan raised an eyebrow, “Seokmin? Why’d he do that?”

Jeonghan shrugged, “probably pitied the kid or something, I didn’t go in with him and he’s very much a lost puppy when it comes to anything and everything.”

“Sounds like Min,” Seungkwan smiled fondly.

“He seems great,” Jeonghan looked at his watch before looking up with an apologetic grin, “I gotta run, I’m making dinner tonight and if I leave the other three to get started without me, I won’t have an apartment. One of them nearly burned down his yesterday morning, and he’s only been living here for three days!”

Seungkwan laughed, shooing him off, “I’ll text you later, thanks again for all your help.”

Jeonghan stood up, reaching his arms out to hug him goodbye, squeezing him with all the power in his small frame.

“Good, don’t be a stranger,” he said, his face smushed up against Seungkwan’s shoulder, “I really like spending time with you, and I’m always up for helping you out with any projects.”

Seungkwan laughed, patting his back before separating the two of them, “good to know I have someone who can help me with this ridiculous course load. Now get going before your people burn down your apartment.”

Jeonghan nodded quickly, smiling brightly as he exited the coffee shop, looking back to wave goodbye to Seungkwan one last time. Seungkwan smiled to himself, he’d only known the older man for a few days, and he already felt like they had known each other for years.

He walked down the busy streets of the city, music blasting from his earphones drowning out the loud noises of his surroundings. Even as people bustled around him, going through their daily lives as he did his, he felt a calm warmth settle in his heart. He closed his eyes as he waited at a crosswalk, taking in a deep breath and appreciating where he was, where he was going. He wondered if the people in his life were there by chance or if there was a hint of fate playing in all of his relationships, a string connecting all of them one way or another. A family that would somehow find their way to each other no matter what universe they were in.

Maybe he was just a romantic, maybe things didn’t happen for a reason, but there was something very comforting about fate.


	7. V5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi there is mentions of alcohol/weed in this bc...they are young adults in college and it's a party but there's not gonna be any messy drunk nonsense just some cool fun times okay just thought i'd give a lil warning before :)   
> also this chapter wasn't beta'd bc i finished it in the middle of the night and i'm rlly eager to upload!!!!! it's taken me so long to write this fherfefefr i really hope it's okay (also sorry denna for not sending it to u first im chaotic and impulsive and you're asleep)   
> as always you can find me on twitter @rosydoky where i am working on a verkwan twitter au that's mostly bad jokes, and i now have a svt tumblr you can also follow me on, @rosydoky!   
> also even tho she didn't beta this bc i'm demonic follow @hootyhoon on twitter and @toezi on tumblr hehe okay thank u

Something feels different. 

The haze is the same, the scents surrounding him are familiar, and the feeling in his gut tells him that he is indeed having another dream, after a week long drought proceeding his week long downpour. It’s all so familiar, it feels like home, but something deep inside of him whispers,  _ this is different _ . 

He sucked in a deep breath, wondering in the back of his mind why that’s even necessary for a dream world, and continued walking. He’s standing outside a door to what looks to be someone’s apartment. The numbers are blurred clean off the front of it, and usually he’d be annoyed, but something inside of him has changed and he’s filled with the childlike wonder he’d missed so much.

He opened the door carefully, a small smile on his face as he steps into the entrance of the apartment and is immediately hit with the overwhelming floral scent. He looked around, standing in the midst of an ocean of various flowers, in a rainbow of different colors.

He looked towards the middle of the room and spotted himself and a figure standing there, and he was immediately taken aback. He blinked slowly, stepping closer than he ever dared before, studying the face of his future self carefully. The problem was, this version of himself wasn’t much different from his current state at all. His hair was the same soft caramel color, natural waves sticking out wildly. He hadn’t aged at all, he was even wearing a shirt that was sitting in his clothing hamper in present time. He gawked, suddenly realizing that this was all happening very soon. 

He took a shaky breath, looking towards the blurry figure standing in front of him. Whoever it was, they were holding his future self hands like they were afraid he’d disappear if they ever let go. The Vernon of the future laughed at something the other person said, tears threatening to leak out the corners of his eyes. He looked so relieved, nodding along to whatever the other person was saying, smiling like a fool. 

Vernon sat on the floor, looking up at himself in wonder, feeling overwhelmed by the intense feelings of love surrounding him. He wondered how he could fall this hard in a matter of what seemed to be weeks, if he could guess a time frame. Whoever was about to step into his life must make a hell of impression, because they left him looking absolutely whipped. 

Too suddenly he felt the edges of the dream start to dissipate, fading into a shimmery cloud, he wanted to beg the universe to let him stay, if only just for a minute more. He wanted to learn more, get a better glimpse of what was to come. For the first time in what seemed like forever, he wasn’t anxious to wake up, he was content, just as the dreams intended him to be. 

But even still, the dream faded out, but not without wrapping him in golden ribbons of love and warmth, preparing him to wake up to the blissful day to come. 

 

He woke up with a song he never heard before stuck in his head, but instead of worrying about what it could mean, he hummed along to it all day. 

 

“This is it,” Vernon said, arriving in front of Seungcheol’s apartment, the music from inside clearly audible through the door. He wondered how his neighbors weren’t sending in noise complaints, considering it was already fairly late and there wasn’t sign of them stopping any time soon. 

Seungcheol had invited them to what he called, “a small birthday shindig,” after their late night at the park, and his friends were more than eager to accept his offer. Joshua had somehow convinced Vernon to accept too, whining about how he need to loosen up, droning on and on about how he was only young once. So now, here they were, standing outside Seungcheol’s apartment about to enter a party filled with people they didn’t even know. 

“Cool,” Jeonghan said, pushing forward and opening the door without knocking, “I haven’t been to a party in so long, we aren’t wasting time standing out here awkwardly like idiots.” 

Joshua sighed, but still wrapped an arm around his boyfriend as they entered the small apartment together, Vernon and Chan awkwardly trailing behind them. It hadn’t even dawned on Vernon how uncomfortable this whole situation would probably be, he knew none of Seungcheol’s friends, and there was a good chance they knew that the two of them had tried dating, which was beyond mortifying. On top of that, the cramped apartment was far too loud for his liking, hazy with smoke, and already reeked of alcohol. 

“Chill,” Chan whispered, as if reading his mind, “remember for Joshua said, let loose. You’re young, have a good time and stop being such a stick in the mud.” 

Vernon rolled his eyes, smiling bitterly at his best friend but silently thanking him for his ability to tell him exactly what he needed to hear. 

“You made it!” Seungcheol exclaimed, shooting up from his couch on wobbly feet, “let me introduce you to everyone, well mostly everyone,  _ some _ people are always late.” 

Vernon smiled and nodded, accepting a cup of mysterious red liquid that was being shoved at him by Jeonghan who had somehow already found the drinks. 

“You’ve met Seokmin,” Seungcheol said, gesturing to the familiar face sitting on the couch. At the sound of his name, the man’s head shot up, a dazzling smile plastered on his face. 

“Nice to see you again, I can’t believe I helped you pick out flowers for Cheol of all people, small world!” he said, giggling like a child as he leaned against the man sitting next to him playfully. 

“And that,” Seungcheol said, pointing to the man who was desperately trying to push Seokmin off of his lap, “is Wonwoo. He’s the one you stole inventory from, so I’d watch out if I were you.”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes behind thick framed glasses, but a slight smile rested on his lips, “if anyone is going to get in trouble for that, it’ll be Seokmin. But since the flowers were kept in the family, I’ll let it slide this time,” he shoved at Seokmin’s arm, earning a joking whimper from him.

“Soonyoung isn’t here yet,” Seungcheol explained, “he and Seungkwan had to stop to pick up food even though I told them to come an hour early. I don’t think they’ve ever been on time for anything.”

Seokmin nodded, “yeah, they’re hopeless.” 

“You’re just as bad,” said a man sitting on the floor in front of his feet, idly swirling a glass of red wine. He looked like he could be a model, or maybe a fashion designer, Vernon thought, and he couldn’t help but wonder how someone like him had made his way into a friend group filled with a bunch of flower loving, beer drinking, bros. 

“I’m Minghao,” the boy said, smiling softly up at Vernon, “my boyfriend is around here somewhere, probably smoking too much weed. I’m the voice of reason amongst these neanderthals.” 

“Wow, I relate,” Jeonghan said, placing a hand over his heart.

Chan snorted in response, earning a quick swat to the back of his head from his senior. 

“Minghao is only saying that because he’s not even finished with his first glass of wine,” Seungcheol rolled his eyes, “give him an hour and he’ll be doing body shots off of all of you. Don’t let his cool exterior fool you, he’s just as clingy and annoying as the rest of us.” 

Minghao pouted, opening his mouth to object but was quickly interrupted by another taller man swooping down and taking a seat in his lap, nearly knocking the wine glass out of his hand. 

“I’m Jun,” the man said, smiling lazily, “and everything my boyfriend says about me is a lie, I am the epitome of a functioning adult.” 

Minghao fussed, but wrapped his arms around the bigger man anyways, “I actually wasn’t bad mouthing you this time, surprisingly enough,” he scrunched up his nose, “but you do smell way too strongly of weed, stinky.” 

Jun shrugged, his smile softening further as he leaned his head back to rest on Minghao’s shoulder, exhaling a content sigh. In a weird way, they reminded Vernon so much of Jihoon and Mingyu, but maybe he just missed them so much he was seeing them everywhere. 

“And that’s everyone,” Seungcheol smiled, “except for the two who are perpetually late. Anyways, make yourselves comfortable, food will be here soon and there’s plenty of booze to go around. We’re going to play Mario Kart once Soonyoung gets here, he made us promise not to start without him.”

“We’re only agreeing to his dumb wishes because it’s his birthday,” Wonwoo rolled his eyes.

“You’d agree to anything he said anyways,” Seokmin snorted, earning a furious glance from the other man. 

“It’s my birthday too,” Jun whined, “shouldn’t I have say in what we do?” 

“You chose the cake,” Seungcheol shrugged, “Soonyoung gets to choose the activities.” 

Vernon watched as the group of friends bickered, a heated debate on whether or not it was fair that Soonyoung got to delay Mario Kart erupting between them. Just as Jun was yelling about how annoying the other birthday boy was, the door burst open as if on cue. 

“Jun,” gasped a man with bright pink hair as he entered the apartment, holding bags full of food. Vernon could only guess it was Soonyoung, and the other man trailing behind him being his friend, Seungkwan. 

“I thought we were friends,” he said, pushing out his bottom lip as he tilted his head to stare at the other boy accusingly. 

“Of course, babe,” Jun said, his expression softening, “but you’re still fucking annoying.” 

Soonyoung smiled, bright and wide, “right back at ya, birthday boy.” 

“If you haven’t guessed,” Seungcheol whispered, leaning towards Vernon, “that’s Soonyoung, and Seungkwan is the one standing awkwardly behind him.”

“I heard that,” the other boy whined, a slight blush rising to his cheeks, “it’s not my fault Soonie was blocking the entrance, I would’ve pushed him but he’s holding all the food.” 

“Seungkwan!” Jeonghan gasped, “I didn’t know you knew Seungcheol!” 

“Oh, shit,” Seungkwan paused, smiling brightly at Jeonghan, “I didn’t know  _ you _ knew Seungcheol.”

“Wait, how do you two know each other?” Seungcheol asked, adding to the confusion.

“He helped me out at the flower shop,” Jeonghan explained simply, “and I helped him with some lyrics for his music comp class. Now come here and give me a hug,” Jeonghan cooed, motioning for Seungkwan to squeeze himself in between him and Vernon. 

Seungkwan smiled shyly, plopping down between them and leaning into hug Jeonghan tightly, a few giggles escaping his lips as Jeonghan playfully ruffled his dark brown hair. He turned to Vernon, his cheeks tinted pink and his hair mussed up from Jeonghan’s teasing. 

“I’m Seungkwan,” he said confidently, offering his hand to Vernon. 

Vernon shook it, nearly giggling from the awkwardly formal meeting paired with a too-strong mixed drink, “I’m Vernon, or Hansol, but mostly Vernon.” 

Seungkwan tilted his head, pursing his lips a bit at he stared at him for a second, seemingly analyzing Vernon carefully, “I think Hansol is a cute name, Hansol.”

“You never let us call you Hansol, Non,” Jeonghan whined, “not even Channie.” 

“Honestly, I’m hurt, man,” Chan said, sighing dramatically as he looked up at Vernon. 

“You’re both annoying,” he mumbled. They were right, he wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or Seungkwan’s charming nature, but for whatever reason he was perfectly okay with letting some stranger call him Hansol, a name only his family called him when he was in trouble. 

“Well I’m glad I have the privilege then,” Seungkwan said proudly, throwing an arm around Jeonghan’s shoulder, “now are we going to play Mario Kart or what? I want to kick Seokmin’s ass.” 

 

They had only made it through one track when Seokmin suggested they play something else instead, everyone annoyed with how long it took Wonwoo to choose a character to play as. So that’s how they all ended up sitting on the floor in a circle, playing “Never Have I Ever” like a bunch of teenager’s at their first high school party.

“Never have I ever ate a piece of food after dropping it on the floor,” Seungcheol said, looking around at his friends’ fingers with great intent, “and I’m judging any of you that put a finger down.” 

“What’s the big deal!” Soonyoung objected as he put a finger down, “haven’t you ever heard of the five second rule?” 

“Yeah, Cheol,” Wonwoo said, “even I have to agree with Soonyoung, as long as it’s not dirty there’s no reason why it should go to waste.”

“You’re all animals,” Seungcheol groaned, “Jeonghan, just go, I can’t take this anymore.” 

Jeonghan smiled, closing his eyes to think, “never have I ever… been to New York.”

“That’s cheating!” Vernon laughed, still putting a finger down, “you can’t target specific people.”

Jeonghan shrugged smugly, “I’m not targeting anyone, I’m just saying something I’ve never done.”

“You’re evil, babe,” Joshua laughed, staring at Jeonghan with so much adoration it was sickening. 

“You’ve been to New York?” Seungkwan asked from his spot beside Vernon, raising an eyebrow. 

“I actually lived there,” Vernon chuckled nervously, “I’ve only been living here for a week, actually.” 

“Oh, wow,” Seungkwan said, looking surprised, “how’d you end up here?” 

Vernon hesitated, unsure of what to say, but luckily Chan heard the conversation from the other side of Seungkwan and leaned forward to interject. 

“We just wanted a change of scenery,” he said simply, “New York is exhausting, we both have family here, and we finished school for the semester.” 

“So you’re going back, then?” Seungkwan asked, and Vernon swore he saw a small frown on his lips. 

Vernon took a sip from his drink and shook his, immediately regretting it when the alcohol burned the back of his throat, “not sure yet, I like it here, I might just stay.” 

Seungkwan opened his mouth as if he was about to ask something, but was interrupted by a pillow being thrown at his head. 

“Hello,” Minghao sang, looking annoyed, “we’re playing a game here, kids! It’d be nice if you’d play along.” 

Seungkwan rolled his eyes, his lips pursing naturally as he shot an annoyed glance at Minghao from across the circle, looking far more cute than he probably realized. 

Vernon had to gather all the strength within him to fight the urge to hold his hand. 


	8. SK3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! sorry this took so long, i'm aiming for weekly uploads but sometimes life happens and stuff, so you know :///   
> also my twitter is now @vorekwan, rip rosydoky she was good to me!   
> thanks as always to me beta @hootyhoon i am sitting in her room as i type this   
> also thank you to everyone who has showed me love on this fic, it's overwhelming sometimes when i find out people genuinely enjoy my writing efhnerferf especially since it's something i love doing so much. i hope you continue to enjoy the story :)

Seungkwan swirled his drink around at the bottom of his plastic cup, not feeling entirely disinterested in the party, but feeling entirely too floaty to make any remarkable input. Usually he was the opposite, he was a people person by nature and thrived off the attention of others, he would gladly spend hours in a cramped apartment, surrounded by new and old faces, chatting away all night and drinking his fair share of vodka cranberries. He’d usually end the night dancing on the coffee table in someone’s apartment, performing makeshift karaoke as he sang his heart out into an empty beer bottle.

Usually, during birthday parties, especially for his best friends, he would go even further to make sure everyone was having a good time, but he just couldn’t get through the dream like haze that blurred his vision. He felt as if he had been coming in and out of consciousness all night, deciding early on that drinking probably wasn’t the best idea. He apologized to the houseplant sitting beside him every time he dumped some of his drink into the pot, hoping no one would notice the odd mood he was in. 

The only logical explanation for the odd feeling was the dream he had the night before, the mere thought of it bringing a smile to his lips. It was unlike any other dream he had experienced, softer and warmer but much more intense than any of the others. He couldn’t get the scent of all those flowers out of the back of his head, every time he walked into his living room it felt as if the air was knocked out of him again, like he was living in the dream. He tried to shake off the realization that the events of the dream were happening  _ soon _ , the only difference in his appearance being the pastel pink shade of his hair, and he had already previously made an appointment with his hairdresser to dye it that color later the next week. 

So maybe he wasn’t really feeling up for partying that night, nearly completely lost in his own dream induced haze. That didn’t stop him, however, from noticing the new guy Seungcheol had invited over. He assumed it was the one he met at the soulmate speed dating, something that in general would kind of skeeve Seungkwan out, but something about the other man was gentle, easy to trust. There was an odd pull he felt towards him, and that’s how he ended up sitting next to him on the floor beneath Jeonghan’s feet, not really speaking, just watching everyone else interact.

They had already gone through a game of never have I ever, a few rounds of Mario Kart, and way too much alcohol, which meant that it was the point in the evening where Soonyoung put on RENT for the hundredth time. They all cried every time. 

“I’ve never seen this,” Hansol said from beside him, taking a quiet sip of his drink, “it’s good.”

Seungkwan looked over at him, snapping out of the weird daze he had been in all night, “you’re from New York and you haven’t seen RENT? Is that legal?”

Hansol laughed, hard, and it shouldn’t have made Seungkwan blush but it most definitely did. People thought he was funny, sure, because he was, but Hansol laughed at his jokes like no one else did. He had a full smile, and sometimes Seungkwan could feel the small fear inside of him that his face would split in half from how fiercely he showed his teeth. He was open, never covering his mouth with his hand or shying away, it was refreshing and interesting and Seungkwan found himself wanting to be more like him. 

“Just isn’t the type of movie I usually watch, I guess, but it’s really good,” Hansol reassured him, raising his eyebrows in what Seungkwan could only guess was a way to show his genuine interest. 

“Of course it’s good,” Soonyoung sniffed from the couch, curling into Wonwoo’s stiff side even closer than he had before, “it’s  _ RENT _ , it’s like, the only movie ever.” 

Seungkwan laughed quietly, staring back into his nearly empty cup, losing himself in thought again. He felt like his head was spinning in circles, despite the lack of alcohol he had drank. Even worse, he couldn’t get Islands by Super Junior out of his head, it had been playing in his mind all day and he couldn’t really remember if it had anything to do with the dream or not. 

“You know,” Hansol said, surprising him once again, “you don’t have to pretend to drink, I’m sure no one will care.”

Seungkwan looked up, surely blushing deeply having been caught, “you noticed that?” 

The corner of Hansol’s lip quirked, before bursting into another one of his world famous smiles that Seungkwan didn’t think he’d ever forget, “you’re not very sly. Do you want to go outside?” 

From the look on Hansol’s face, it seemed to Seungkwan that he most certainly didn’t mean to let the invitation slip out of his mouth. He immediately flustered, blushing the same bright red color of his beanie and stuttering as he tried to get a sentence out. 

“You just seem, um, uncomfortable? Or lost? I don’t know, I just thought maybe you’d like some fresh air we could walk to the market down the street or something? This is weird isn’t it?” he said, looking thoroughly concerned as Seungkwan’s face remained stoic. 

Seungkwan stared at him for a second, measuring him up. He was entirely confused by this kid, something about him seemed so sure, confident, maybe even a little cocky, one minute he was smooth talking and charming, and the next he was like  _ this _ . Lopsided grin and flushed face, playing nervously with whatever he could get his hands on, and Seungkwan thought that maybe that version of Hansol was somehow even more attractive than the latter. 

“Sure,” he finally sighed, breaking out into a smile, “no need to freak out, I won’t bite.” 

Hansol blew out a quiet breath, averting Seungkwan’s gaze but still smiling softly as he raised to his feet quickly, offering a large hand to help Seungkwan up. He reached for it and wasn’t surprised to find that his hand was very warm, and could use a little lotion. His own hands he knew to be a little cold, but always soft and pliant, and the thought, “ _ what a nice match, _ ” crossed his mind if only for a second as he rose to his feet, standing a few inches shorter than Hansol. 

“Should we tell them we’re leaving?” Hansol asked, looking over at the group of crying adults who hadn’t even noticed they had gotten up, including Jeonghan who was sitting right behind them.

Seungkwan thought for a second, tapping a finger to his lip, “nah, not worth it. We’ll be quick, I just want a cola.” 

He knew that Wonwoo had drinks in the fridge, but he suddenly found he really wanted an excuse to go on an adventure with Hansol. 

 

Seungkwan was thankful as the cool air hit his face outside the apartment, his oversized cardigan had began to feel way too warm in the cramped apartment, and it didn’t help that he could practically feel the imprint of Hansol’s hand burnt into his palm. 

“Oh,” Hansol said in surprise as he stepped out the door, “I wasn’t expecting a breeze,” he frowned, looking down at his thin t-shirt. 

“Here,” Seungkwan said, shrugging off his cardigan and handing it over without a second thought, “I’m really warm, I don’t want you to freeze or anything.” 

Hansol blushed, gingerly taking the cardigan from Seungkwan’s hands as if it was a precious artifact that would break if he didn’t handle it with the utmost care. He pulled in on in the same fashion, surprised to find that it fit his broad shoulders fairly decently. 

“Thanks,” he said quietly, wrapping his arms around his midsection for extra warmth, “I get cold really easily, winters back home are hell.” 

Seungkwan hummed, nodding, “I’m used to it, I grew up on an island so it was pretty breezy year round. This,” he paused, stretching out his arms to greet the slightly chilly air, “is weather that reminds me of home.” 

Hansol cocked his head, his eyes twinkling as he gave him a goofy smile, “an island, then? Where are you from, island boy?” 

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Seungkwan teased, “I don’t give out personal information to strangers, sorry, Hansol.” 

“We’re not strangers,” Hansol whined, his lip jutting out in a pout, “you know my name,  _ Seungkwan _ , and you know where I’m from. I think it’s only fair that you tell me where you’re from.” 

“You’ve made some points,” Seungkwan sighed dramatically, focusing on his feet as he balanced on the edge of the sidewalk in an attempt to keep himself from blushing too much, “I  _ guess _ I’ll tell you.” 

“Wow, maybe I have a future in law,” Hansol smiled. 

“Jejudo,” Seungkwan said, still not looking up, “have you ever visited?” 

“No, what’s it like?” 

Seungkwan sighed, smiling softly as he moved his arms out to further his balance as he placed one foot in front of the other, entranced by the game he had made up on his own. Truthfully, he didn’t like talking about home, only because it made him miss it so much. He just didn’t have the money to visit often, and as much as he loved his life in the city, it broke his heart knowing that he couldn’t just visit his mom whenever he wanted. 

“Amazing, beautiful, quiet, boring,” he said, closing his eyes as he continued to balance on the narrow line, “I miss it a lot, but it wasn’t where I’m supposed to be. It’s home, but it’s not my home, does that make sense?” He finally looked up at Hansol, a sad smile on his face as he searched for understanding behind light brown eyes. 

Hansol nodded in agreeance, “I feel the same way about New York. Just wasn’t where I was supposed to be, I guess.” 

Seungkwan smiled, pausing his game to stand still and look at Hansol quizzically, “so where are you supposed to be?” 

“Here, I think,” Hansol smiled back, “and you?”

Seungkwan looked up at the sky, and for a reason unknown to him, seeing the stars made him feel like everything was falling into place. The breeze whispered over his arms, and he looked over at Hansol who was still wrapped in his cardigan, face flushed from the chilly air, and something about the night felt irrevocably right. 

“I think I’m supposed to be here too.” 

 

They arrived back to the apartment with arms full of snacks, because apparently the two of them both had a convenience store shopping addiction that only became stronger when they were together. They realized at the check out when their total came to over 25,000 won that they probably shouldn’t be allowed to shop for shitty snacks together ever again. 

“Where’d you two go?” Jeonghan asked, raising an eyebrow in interest. He had an arm flinged around Seokmin, while his legs rested in Joshua’s lap, looking as comfortable as ever.

“We went to the market down the street,” Hansol said, “just wanted some fresh air, and snacks.”

“I can see that,” Joshua said, looking amused, “cute cardigan, Non.”

Hansol blushed, wrapping his arms around himself tighter and looking far too cute for Seungkwan’s health, “I get cold easily,” he mumbled, looking towards the ground. 

“I’m glad you two are getting along,” Seungcheol sighed, walking into the living room looking far more sober than he wanted to be, “but Seungkwan, you really need to take Soonyoung home, now.” 

“Is he okay?” Seungkwan asked quickly, his brows furrowing, “is he sick? Did he fall from the coffee table again?”

“He’s making out with Wonwoo,” Seokmin said, his nose scrunched up, “I tried to get them off of each other, but there’s a lot of pent up aggression going on there and nobody listens to me,” he pouted, crossing his arms. 

“I’ll listen to you,” Jeonghan cooed, pinching Seokmin’s cheek, which would’ve annoyed anybody else but Seokmin just smiled brightly, leaning into Jeonghan’s touch. Seungkwan made a mental note to ask about the gesture later, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. 

“Where’s Hao and Jun?” he whined, not wanting to go home. Of course Soonyoung had to get messy drunk on the night he finally bonded with a cute boy. He was allowed to be a little pissed, even if it was shying on selfish. 

“They went home while you were gone,” Hansol’s friend, Chan, said as he emerged from the kitchen, “I’ve tried reasoning with Soonyoung, but he just keeps saying he doesn’t know me and to leave him alone, but he also keeps saying I’m cute and he loves me. It’s really confusing.” 

Seungkwan sighed, “sounds like him. Fine, I’ll collect him,” he looked over at Hansol and frowned, “sorry I couldn’t stay longer, you can keep the snacks, I have a feeling I won’t have time to eat them when I get back to the apartment.” 

Hansol’s soft smile faltered, disappointment shining in his eyes, “it’s okay, next time?” 

Seungkwan nodded, butterflies forming in his stomach at the sheer thought of a next time, “thanks for hanging out, I had fun,” he eyed his cardigan. Hansol had apparently forgot he was wearing it completely, and the sensible thing to do would be to politely ask for it back, but Seungkwan just wasn’t satisfied with that conclusion. Not when there was a very real possibility that Hansol would hunt him down the next day to return it to him, a much more ideal situation for Seungkwan to find himself in. 

So he didn’t say anything, instead he excused himself to the kitchen where Soonyoung was still attached to Wonwoo’s lips, kissing him in a very unattractive manner. 

“Soonyoung,” Seungkwan sighed, “I’m glad you guys are figuring things out, since it’s really annoying having the two of you at each other’s throats all the time, but I think it’s time to go home.” 

Soonyoung turned around quickly to eye Seungkwan, as if he was deciding whether or not to listen to the younger one. 

“I guess,” he finally sighed, detaching his hand from the back of Wonwoo’s neck, “I’m not  _ that _ drunk by the way. I’m perfectly capable of making decisions.” 

“Me too,” Wonwoo practically whined, and Seungkwan was surprised the older man was even capable of losing his composure like that, “we just want to kiss.” 

Seungkwan snorted, swatting away Wonwoo’s hands as they reached towards Soonyoung’s, “you two can kiss tomorrow all you want. We’re going home.” 

“I want to kiss you tomorrow,” Soonyoung yelled at Wonwoo as Seungkwan dragged him out of the apartment, “we’re going to kiss again tomorrow!” 

Wonwoo nodded eagerly, “and the next day too! Monday, even!” 

“God, you two are a piece of work,” Seungkwan muttered under his breath, finally getting Soonyoung out of the apartment with one final shove.

“I like Wonwoo,” he sighed as they walked towards their apartment, “like,  _ like _ , like.”

“You sound like a middle school student,” Seungkwan snorted, “but yeah, I think we get it.” 

“He’s really smart,” Soonyoung sighed, leaning his head on Seungkwan’s shoulder as they walked, “and cute, and funny but he doesn’t let everyone know that. I know that, though. He let’s me, isn’t that nice?” 

“That’s very nice,” Seungkwan smiled, genuinely feeling happy for his friend. He knew the two of them had been dancing around each other for months, maybe even a year now. Their feelings were obvious but they were both too stubborn to do anything about it other than bicker like an old married couple, and quite honestly it was becoming old. He thought it was silly that two people could like each other so much but so blatantly ignore their feelings. 

Something sparked inside of him and his mind trailed to Hansol, he had only known him for a few hours but he felt like he was already counting down the minutes to the next time he saw him, whenever that would be. He tried not to look too far into it, because that was his general rule of thumb about most thing. 

“Hey,” he said carefully, once he realized that Hansol wasn’t going to leave his mind anytime soon, so he might as well talk about him, “you know that guy Seungcheol had over tonight?”

“Chan? He’s so cute,” Soonyoung gushed, “he’s a dancer too you know, he’s coming to my class next week-”

“The other one,” Seungkwan rolled his eyes, unsurprised that Soonyoung had quickly befriended the younger boy.

“Oh, he didn’t talk much, did he?” Soonyoung looked at him, “actually, he talked to you a lot. You left together, right? Where’d ya go?” 

Seungkwan felt his face heat up, “just down the street to get snacks. He was… nice.” 

Soonyoung looked at him with a knowing smile and hummed, “nice, huh?”

“Yeah,” Seungkwan gulped, looking away, “nice.” 

 

“ _ Excuse me _ ,” Seungkwan repeated, his mouth ajar. 

“Please stop saying that,” Soonyoung groaned, rubbing his temples.

“Are you sure you didn’t just black out and forget things-”

“No,” Soonyoung shook his head, “no, I didn’t black out. I remember everything from last night, I really wasn’t that drunk. I think connecting with him finally gave me some sort of adrenaline rush or something, I remember everything very clearly.” 

“So it’s him then,” Seokmin said quietly, “Wonwoo is your soulmate.” 

Soonyoung nodded, combing a hand through his messy hair, “what do I do?”

“Well, you already like him a lot,” Jun said, sounding bored, “I’m honestly not surprised. Have you talked to him today?”

“He tried calling me,” Soonyoung hesitated, “I didn’t pick up, I’m sort of freaking out.” 

Now, Seungkwan was groaning, practically throwing himself across the table to strangle his best friend, “are you kidding me, Soonyoung? He’s probably freaking out! You can’t just ignore him after you find out he’s your fucking soulmate!” 

“I know, I know,” he sighed, “I’m just surprised, and not sure how to handle this. Before last night I couldn’t even admit I have feelings for him and  _ now _ ?” 

“Now you know you’re soulmates,” Seokmin said, his voice steady despite how upset he looked, breaking Seungkwan’s heart, “you should be happy, you should go to him, you two should be together right now.” 

“Seok…” Soonyoung frowned, reaching a hand out to try and hold Seokmin’s hand. 

Seokmin shook his head, smiling sadly, “it’s okay, we knew we weren’t soulmates, right? It would’ve been cool, but you and Wonwoo belong together.” 

Seungkwan gripped Seokmin’s hand tighter beneath the table, trying to convey his love through the only gesture he could offer. 

He was confused, more than anything. He knew the two older boys liked each other, and he knew they liked each other quite a bit, but he had never suspected that they would actually be soulmates. He was happy for them, of course, overjoyed even. But it was hard to show that emotion when his other best friend sat next to him, battling his own soulmate struggles on the opposite end of the spectrum. He silently cursed the universe once again, something he didn’t do often, but when he did he meant it. 

“Wonwoo just called me,” Minghao said, walking out of his room looking ridiculously tired, “he’s hysterical, he said that Soonyoung is his soulmate and doesn't want him? I’m very confused and far too under caffeinated for this,” he sighed, sauntering over to the coffee machine. 

“Shit,” Soonyoung cursed underneath his breath, “I should go, right? Like, right now?”

“Yes, dummy!” Jun said, slapping the back of his head, “take my car, don’t wreck it, and don’t mess this up.”

Soonyoung grabbed the keys off the counter, nodding in reply to Jun’s request as he ran out the door, still wearing his Lightning McQueen pajama bottoms. 

Seungkwan sighed, shaking his head as he peered into the bottom of his coffee cup, the stress of the morning making him completely forget about a certain boy who was still in possession of his favorite cardigan. 


	9. V6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this took so long bc im a perfectionist who procrastinates! i rlly do enjoy this chapter tho and i hope others do too!! were finally getting somewhere crew!  
> follow me on twitter @vorekwan

Vernon stood outside the flower shop, holding the soft fabric in his shaking hands. He couldn’t really explain why he was so nervous, he’d only talked to the guy once, and sure he was attracted to him, but Vernon was never one to lose his head over a cute person. Or so he liked to tell people. 

He had even considered making Jeonghan return the cardigan, they were friends, it would be less awkward that way. But as he walked home from work, he could practically feel the piece of clothing burning a hole through his backpack. He cursed himself for not remembering to return it the night before, or maybe he did remember but chose not to say anything. It seemed that his brain was betraying him often these days.

Even worse than his current dilemma, he had another choice rattling in the back of his brain that he would be even more content with, but he’d never admit that. Really, he would’ve liked to just  _ keep _ the atrocious pink thing, which was totally out of the question. But even still, he couldn’t help but feel a small ache in his heart when he thought about returning it to the owner. It smelled like clean laundry and lavender, and it was softer than any item of clothing he owned. An oddly domestic part of him wanted to ask Seungkwan what fabric softener he used, but he decided that it would probably be far too weird. 

He took in one last deep sigh, as if he was about to jump off the deep end of the pool. He usually wasn’t one for dramatics, but his nerves were getting the best of him and he already felt overly flustered as he pushed open the heavy doors of the flower shop. 

He was greeted immediately by the intense aroma, suddenly reminding him of the dream he had kept stashed away. He was still trying not to think about it too much, afraid that he’d get too caught up in something that was yet to happen and forget to live as Joshua had told him. Being surrounded by hundreds of flowers was definitely not helping his plan, however. 

The bell above him chimed as he walked through the door, smiling awkwardly as he looked around for the familiar dark head of hair. He found him standing at the cashier desk, face buried in a book about music theory while his headphones blasted music so loud, Vernon could hear it even as they sat securely over Seungkwan’s ears. 

He walked up to the desk, suddenly feeling much more brave than he had a few minutes before. Seungkwan looked cute, his brow furrowed a little as he worried his lower lip between his teeth, probably turning it a rosy shade of pink as he did so. There was something oddly comforting about seeing him like this, and Vernon almost didn’t want to disrupt him.

He decided just standing there and watching the other boy would be really weird, however, so instead he reached forward and rang the bell sitting on the counter in front of him. Seungkwan’s eyes shot up, looking like a deer caught in the headlights, yet another endearing expression. 

“I forgot to give you back your cardigan,” Vernon smiled, feeling his face flush with warmth. 

Seungkwan snorted, quickly pausing the music on his phone and moving his headphones so they sat around his neck, leaving his hair a little mussed up in their place, “I thought you would end up stealing it, I was going to have to have Jeonghan have a serious talk with you.” 

Vernon stuck his tongue out a little, placing the cardigan gently on the desk, “I did kind of want to keep it, I don’t have anything like it, plus it smells good,” he paused, suddenly realizing how creepy he sounded, “not in a weird way, I mean, like, your laundry detergent is nice-”

Seungkwan laughed loudly, cutting him off as he stared at Vernon incredulously, “you’re a weird one, Hansol.” 

“Is that bad?” Vernon murmured, slightly thrown off from the use of his first name but not hating the way it sounded coming from Seungkwan’s mouth. 

Seungkwan shook his head, smiling softly, “it’s kind of cute, just don’t turn out to be a creep or anything.” 

Vernon smiled back, feeling the edges of his eyes crinkle as he did. He wasn’t sure why hearing his weird habits were cute from Seungkwan held so much weight in his heart, but it did make him incredibly happy even so. 

“Thanks again for letting me use your cardigan, I’m a huge baby in the cold,” he laughed nervously, suddenly feeling very vulnerable as Seungkwan stared at him, “sorry I didn’t have time to wash it, I wasn’t expecting to stop by after work.” 

Seungkwan’s eyes lit up as he looked Vernon up and down again, “oh, you work at the coffee shop around the corner, then? I recognize the uniform, I didn’t know you already had a job.” 

Vernon sighed, “Joshua got Chan and I in somehow, I guess his friend is a manager or something. Needed something to pay for our apartment and all the dates I’m going to have to go on.” 

Seungkwan raised an eyebrow, “what’s up with that anyways? You met Seungcheol at a date party, didn’t you? What’s the rush to find your soulmate, then?” 

Vernon raised a hand to the back of his neck, wondering if he should just tell Seungkwan the truth. Something about the other boy was so warm, he felt like he could tell him everything, but at the same time he didn’t want to scare him off. 

“No rush, Joshua just thinks it’s a good idea, he met Jeonghan at a date party, you know?” he lied, the two had actually met at a yoga class neither of them had meant to go to. He silently prayed that Jeonghan hadn’t gushed about how they met to Seungkwan yet, he definitely didn’t want to seem like a liar. 

“Oh, that’s actually cute,” Seungkwan smiled, “I’ve always thought they were kinda gross, if I’m being honest. The concept is just weird to me I guess. But if two normal people could find each other through the system, I guess they’re around for a reason, huh?” 

Vernon snorted, wondering how anyone could call Joshua and Jeonghan normal of all things, “normal enough, I guess. Anyways, they are weird, and if nothing comes out of the one I’m going to tonight, I’m swearing them off for good.”

Vernon didn’t miss the slight pout that developed on Seungkwan’s plush lips, and he desperately hoped Seungkwan missed the way his cheeks flushed red. 

“Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to come over and watch movies with Seokmin and I, since we’re mourning the loss of yet another single brother, but since you’re busy, I guess we’ll have to do a raincheck?” 

Vernon’s eyes widened, surprised that Seungkwan was already asking him to hang out so casually. Part of him wanted to just say fuck it to the date party and join Seungkwan and Seokmin’s party, but he had promised Joshua he would try it at least once more, and he was never one to break a promise. 

“Sorry, I really can’t cancel,” Vernon huffed, giving Seungkwan an apologetic smile, “but I will definitely be taking you up on that rain check offer. Who’s bachelor life are you mourning, anyways?” 

“Believe it or not,” Seungkwan beamed, “Soonyoung.” 

 

Vernon stirred his drink, the ice melting as he neglected to take even the tiniest sip. The condensation on the outside of the glass left his hands feeling sticky, making an already unpleasant evening just a little worse. 

The event hadn’t even started yet, and as much as he tried to be the gleaming optimist Joshua and Jeonghan encouraged him to be, he felt terribly uncomfortable in his current situation. He really hadn’t expected it to be as bad as it was, considering he had a decent time at his first date party, once he met Seungcheol of course. 

He could tell just by looking around that there wouldn’t be any special connections happening between him and the other attendees, and he doubted any of them would pair up. The room was stuffy with the weight of desperation, fake smiles plastered onto the faces of strangers who probably didn’t want to be there just as much as he didn’t. He pasted a mental note to his brain, making sure to remember to chew out Joshua later for forcing him to come. 

He adjusted his stiff button down shirt, a recent purchase he had made under the influence of Jeonghan’s glare, “ _ you need to dress to impress, _ ” he had nagged, his hand on his hip as they stood in the middle of a department store. He bought the shirt without trying it on, and based on the way it squeezed his broad shoulders, he had a feeling that was a bad idea. 

As he waited for the event to start, eager to just get the whole thing over with, his mind wandered to the million things he could be doing instead. He could be cooking dinner with Chan, or maybe they could’ve watched the new season of Queer Eye as they waited for food delivery, hell, he’d rather be late night shopping with Jeonghan than be in his current situation. Of course, the one thing he really wanted to be doing involved a certain feisty brunette. He should’ve just said yes to his invitation and promised Joshua he’d go to the next date party, should’ve got Seungkwan’s number and shown up on his doorstep with Chan, ready to spend the night watching cheesy romance movies with the remainder of his single friends. 

“Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve” he mumbled to himself, smiling tightly at the girl sitting next to him as he noticed her staring eagerly. 

“You look miserable,” she giggled, sounding like she was just on the edge of tipsy.

“Don’t we all,” Vernon sighed, “sorry if that sounded mean, just tired of this I guess.” 

The girl hummed, nodding, “not mean, just honest. Why are you here, then?” 

Vernon snorted, “I could ask you the same thing.” 

She rolled her eyes, leaning her chin into her hands, “my mom makes me come to these stupid things. She’s says I’m being irresponsible for waiting so long. I need to search harder,” she sighed, clicking her tongue in annoyance, “can I tell you a secret, stranger?” 

Vernon smiled, amused by the girl’s honesty and slight slur of words, “sure thing, stranger.”

“I already met my soulmate,” she smiled lazily, “she’s great, obviously, because I’m great.” 

Vernon’s mouth gaped, and he wondered if the girl was more drunk than she was letting on. 

As if reading his mind, she laughed loudly, “you think I’m crazy,” she said between laughs, “sometimes, I think I’m crazy.” 

“I just don’t understand,” Vernon finally said, feeling concerned for the girl. He looked around for security, narrowing down their location in case he needed to flag someone down for her safety. 

“She smells like lemons,” the strange girl sighed dreamily, “I smelled them so intensely in my dream, and I always wondered why. She eats these weird American candies all the time, and they’re lemon flavored, so I guess it makes sense.” 

She frowned, staring at Vernon as if considering if she should go on, “my mom doesn’t like her, more specifically that my soulmate  _ is _ a her, actually. She doesn’t believe we’re actually soulmates. No way to convince her, you know? So I come here once a week, have a few drinks, make some friends. Miss her.” 

“Where is she?” Vernon asked quietly, his heart breaking for the mystery girl. 

“Around,” she smiled, “we try to see each other as much as possible, but I’m still in uni, still live at home, don’t have the money to move out. Same goes for her, her parents would take me in but they’ve got a full house. It’s just difficult for right now, I guess. It’ll work out eventually though, you know?” 

Vernon just stared, not quite sure what to say.

“I’m sorry for unloading all this on you,” she laughed breathlessly, “I don’t even know your name, but I think it’s better that way. Listen, stranger, I know the best advice doesn’t usually come from a drunk girl you met at a bar, but just take this into consideration.” 

“I can tell you want to get out of here, that something is leading you somewhere else,” she continued, smiling softly, “so leave. Don’t come back here. Go where  _ you _ think is right, because your intuition will inevitably lead you to where you need to be. And when you find your person, don’t let anything come between the two of you being together. I wish I could do that, but maybe if I can inspire someone else to, the universe will pay me back in kindness.” 

Vernon nodded slowly, still confused about the events that had just transpired. His mouth felt dry, and before he could change his mind, he stood up from his seat and headed towards the door, not caring about the lecture he would receive from Joshua. 

He turned around quickly before leaving, looking back at the girl who was still sitting there, her head resting in one hand as the other flicked through her phone, big eyes glued dreamily to the screen. He smiled fondly, thanking her with silence and hoping that she would find the kindness that she so obviously deserved. 

 

“You let a drunk girl convince you to leave a date party you already paid for?” Joshua deadpanned, his arms crossed. 

Vernon’s original plan was to sneak into his apartment undetected, go into hiding until an appropriate time and then report back to Joshua as if he had completed the party. Of course, considering his luck, this didn’t happen. 

“Where were you headed off to this late?” Vernon asked with a bright smile, hoping a change of subject and his charms would get him off the hook. 

Joshua sighed dramatically, “well, dummy, now that you’re home early, your stupid surprise is  _ ruined _ . But at least now I have someone to go to the airport with me.” 

Vernon’s eyes widened, “airport? Why? Is something wrong?” 

“No, I told you I had a surprise for you. Surprises are typically good things. I flew in Mingyu and Jihoon,” he smiled smugly, “but I’m not sure that you even deserve them, now.” 

Vernon squealed, actually squealed, unable to hide his excitement. He had been missing the couple desperately, even though he had only been separated from them for a week. He was homesick for his best friends. 

“I know, I’m great,” Joshua laughed, throwing an arm around Vernon’s shoulder as they walked towards his car, “actually, Jeonghan is great, it was his idea. But you know, same thing. Now, tell me more about this wise girl that changed your life, or whatever.” 

 

Vernon felt like a kid again, standing at the airport terminal practically bouncing out of his shoes as he waited for his friends to come down the escalators. Joshua laughed at him as his smile never faded, even as he began to grow impatient while waiting for them to arrive from baggage.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he saw Mingyu’s tall form make its way down the escalator, Jihoon clinging to his side as he yawned, still looking half asleep from the flight.

“Mingyu!” Vernon cheered, waving his hand and jumping up and down, effectively embarrassing not only his two guests, but Joshua as well.

“I thought we were meeting him at the apartment,” Jihoon mumbled to Joshua, his voice still groggy from sleep, “I’m not even awake yet.”  

“Long story,” Joshua rolled his eyes, “your friend is an idiot.”

“Our friend,” Mingyu corrected, finally reaching over to Vernon to pull him into body crushing hug, “I’ve missed you, kid.”

“You two act like it’s been years,” Jihoon yawned, but the way he hugged Vernon with just as much intensity as his boyfriend was a testament to how much he had missed him as well. 

“I hope your apartment is clean,” Mingyu sighed as they carried their bags out to the car, “this is vacation for me, I’d rather like to not have to clean up after you and Chan the whole week.” 

“Hey,” Vernon whined, “your boyfriend is the one who makes the biggest messes.”

Mingyu shrugged, “but I don’t mind cleaning up after him, I do mind cleaning up after the two of you flops.”

“And that,” Jihoon chuckled, “is why we’re soulmates.” 

 

It was late by the time they got back to the apartment building, and even later by the time they started filtering out of Joshua and Jeonghan’s apartment. Jeonghan had insisted everyone come over for a late night snack, eager to meet Mingyu and Jihoon. Unsurprisingly, Jihoon and Jeonghan instantly clicked, sharing a common sense of humor and a common passion for teasing Vernon. Mingyu and Jeonghan fell easily into playful banter, their equally strong personalities somehow able to meld together well enough to entertain everyone around them. 

Vernon was happy, to say the least, all of his favorite people finally together. He had finally started to admit that Joshua and Jeonghan were quickly becoming family, and the fact that they got along so well with his already chosen family was the affirmation he needed. He smiled softly as his head rested against Chan’s shoulder, his legs flopped over Jeonghan’s lap. 

Jihoon had already headed back to Vernon’s apartment to sleep, complaining when Mingyu wouldn’t join him because of his apparent jet lag. Of course, Mingyu just had to give him his sweet puppy eyed stare and Jihoon softened under his gaze almost instantly, kissing his boyfriend goodnight without another complaint. 

Joshua had headed off to bed shortly after, tired from the drive and from, “ _ dealing with Vernon’s idiocy, _ ” as he put it, which left Jeonghan, Mingyu, Chan, and Vernon alone in the dim living room, giggling over a stupid joke Mingyu made. 

“So how are  _ things  _ going?” Mingyu asked, patting Vernon’s calf gently. 

“Things?” Vernon laughed, “you mean, finding my soulmate or whatever?” 

“Or whatever,” Mingyu smiled, “you haven’t said anything. I deserve to know, as your best friend.”

“I’m his best friend, actually,” Chan corrected, sticking his tongue out at Mingyu. 

“I’m going to replace both of you in a months time,” Jeonghan smiled, batting his lashes at Vernon, “he can’t resist me.”

“Enough fighting over me, I know I’m great,” Vernon snorted, looking back at Mingyu, “things are things.” 

“You’re so descriptive, ever thought about becoming a writer?” 

Vernon rolled his eyes, softly throwing a pillow at Mingyu’s face, “I haven’t really met anyone yet, if that’s what you’re asking.” 

“Anyone?” Mingyu asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Vernon hummed, his mind straying to dark brown hair and expressive eyes, only just for a second, but just long enough to make him flush. 

“Oh my God,” Jeonghan gasped, “there is somebody! You’re interested in somebody and you haven’t told us? Did you meet them tonight?”

“It’s not interest,” Vernon grumbled, “he seems fun to hang out with, and he’s cute, that’s all. No, I didn’t meet him tonight.”

“Who is it?” Chan asked, furrowing his brows as he looked down at Vernon, “you haven’t mentioned anyone.” 

“It’s embarrassing,” Vernon groaned, “I wouldn’t have a chance with him anyways, I doubt I’m his type.” 

“Is it someone we know?” Jeonghan asked excitedly, sitting up on his knees, “one of our friends? Is it Channie? Because that would be weird if it was-” 

“See what you started Mingyu?” Vernon glared at his tall friend who raised both his hands in defense, a goofy smile on his face. 

Vernon took a deep breath, “Seungkwan. But don’t make a big deal, I’m just attracted to him, I doubt anything will come of it.”

“I knew it!” Jeonghan whisper shouted, “you guys wouldn’t stop staring at each other all of last night! And then you disappeared to God knows where, it all adds up! You should ask him out!” 

“We really went to the gas station, you saw the snacks,” Vernon laughed quietly, “and I can’t just ask him out, I don’t even have his number. I returned his cardigan today at the shop and completely forgot to ask.”

“You saw him today?” Chan gaped, “you really need to start telling us this stuff.”

“You stole his cardigan?” Mingyu snorted, “smooth one, I’m sure that impressed him.”

“He said he thought my weirdness is cute,” Vernon blushed. 

“Oh, Vernon, Hansol, Chwe, my sweet little idiot,” Jeonghan cooed, “you are so naive, so beautiful yet so naive. He called you cute and you don’t think you have a chance with him?” 

“He said my weird rambling was cute, not me,” Vernon said, rolling his eyes at Jeonghan as his crawled forward to hold Vernon’s hand with a fierce grip. 

“You, are an oblivious idiot,” Jeonghan said sweetly, “I’ll give you his number, text him now and ask if he wants to go out for coffee tomorrow.” 

“It’s 2AM, don’t text him now,” Chan swatted at Jeonghan’s hand. 

“He’s probably still up, him and Seokmin were having a little party tonight, he invited me but I had plans and then Mingyu and Jihoon got here-”

“Oh my GOD,” Jeonghan sighed loudly, “oh you’re so helpless, you are so lucky to have me. Give me your phone, we’re texting him now.” 

Vernon hesitated as he reached for his phone, completely ready to shove Jeonghan away and make up an excuse as to why he shouldn’t text Seungkwan. It would be easier that way, a big part of him thought, way easier than dealing with rejection or the feeling of being let down. 

And then he remembered the words of the girl he met earlier that night, telling him to do what his intuition pulled him towards. So instead of thinking, he let his hands act on their own as he handed his phone over to Jeonghan’s grabby fingers. He smiled mindlessly as Jeonghan texted Seungkwan excitedly, blabbering on about what he should say. 

He let his mind take him somewhere else as Jeonghan and Chan finally decided on sending a simple, “ _ hey, this is Vernon :), _ ” and decided that if worse case scenario came to be and Seungkwan rejected him, at least he knew he was doing what his heart was pulling him to do. 

He smiled peacefully, and for once in his life, he felt comfortable with giving up control. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES a lesbian just changed vernon's life! and what of it! i didn't rlly specify who it was bc i wasnt rlly sure who i wanted it to be, but i think it's eunwoo of pristin and her soulmate is roa :^)  
> also YEA i brought back jigyu. keep scrollin!


	10. V7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEA... it's been over a month uh... i can explain!   
> basically i get really scared that my writing isn't good enough but i really love this story and i don't want to ruin it with my subpar writing so i just. procrastinate. haha (whip) BUT i'm back now! feeling like i can Conquer this! will hopefully be updating more regularly, thank you to anyone who has stuck around and continues to support amum i know. i know a month and a half is a long time. so yea thank u  
> ANYWAYS find me on twitter @vorekwan thanks for reading lov u

He stared into the mirror, blowing softly at the curls that fell into his eyes and he wondered if he should’ve gotten a haircut as Jeonghan had suggested. Seungkwan had seen him the day before, it wasn’t like he had an important first impression to make, but this was different. 

Except it wasn’t, really, because Seungkwan made it very clear that they were not going on a date, and that they were in fact just two men going to get coffee together. Vernon figured he could work with that. 

His carefree attitude about the whole ordeal had flown out the window that morning when he woke up, realizing that he had in fact let his overzealous friends text the guy that he had a maybe-crush on, and that it wasn’t just some weird fever dream. Jeonghan scolded him, saying he should be thankful that they made the first move for him, but his anxieties about the whole situation made him a little less than thankful. 

He considered canceling as he paced the length of his bedroom, but he knew that wouldn’t be fair. It wasn’t like there was anything wrong with Seungkwan, in fact their texts had been a nonstop stream of easy conversation that had Vernon up most of the night smiling at the glow of his screen. They had great chemistry, their jokes flying back and forth without a moment of hesitation, and Vernon knew it would be just the same in person. 

And yet, he couldn’t help but feel the nerves rising from his stomach into the depths of his chest. Something about the “not-date” felt heavier than even his real date with Seungcheol, and the creeping thoughts of “ _ what if… _ ” didn’t help ease any of the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. 

“I can hear your loud thoughts through the door,” Chan said, letting himself into Vernon’s room. 

“I don’t know if I can do this, Chan,” Vernon groaned, flinging himself on his bed and probably wrinkling his freshly ironed shirt in his dramatic process. 

“You’re going to, even if you don’t think you can,” Chan said simply, sitting on the edge of his bed and looking down on him, “it’s better to at least give it a go and potentially fuck it up, rather than never trying at all and never getting the chance to fuck it up in the first place.”

“I think your logic is flawed,” Vernon huffed. 

“I think you think too much,” Chang shrugged, patting Vernon’s thigh gently, “go on the date.” 

“It’s not a date.”

“It’s very much a date,” Chan laughed, “and you’re going to have a lovely time together, and there will be another date, maybe even more after that. Who knows he could be-”

“Nope,” Vernon shook his head, covering his ears quickly, “don’t jinx it.” 

“So you want it to be him?” Chan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Vernon closed his eyes, sighing deeply. He barely knew Seungkwan, they had a very limited amount of interaction with each other, and most of the conversations they did have had been via text messaging. There was tons of room for Seungkwan to turn out to be absolutely awful, and Vernon knew this, but there was a flicker of something inside of him that was attracted to Seungkwan in a way he had never been attracted to anyone before. Something about the other boy was special, as cheesy as it may have sounded. 

“I wouldn’t be mad,” Vernon finally relented, a slow smile spreading on his face. 

 

If Vernon thought he was nervous in the comfort and safety of his own bedroom, he had no idea what it would be like as he anxiously waited in an empty coffee shop for Seungkwan to arrive. 

He had decided against buying flowers, considering Seungkwan worked with them all day and probably didn’t need a bouquet of his own creation, but as Vernon sat bouncing his leg, he wondered if he should’ve gotten some anyways. 

He ordered a lemon poppyseed muffin for him instead, remembering that Seungkwan had mentioned they were his favorite sometime during their twelfth text conversation of the day. He hoped it wasn’t too eager of him, arguing with himself that just-friends could definitely buy each other their favorite treats after only being told about them once.

So that left him seated in a tiny cafe, picking at his own muffin that he didn’t even have the stomach to eat, but had bought anyways just so he wouldn’t have to awkwardly stare at Seungkwan as he ate his. As the minutes ticked by it occurred to him that he very well could get stood up,  not that he expected Seungkwan to just leave him hanging without any notice, but the possibility was still there, sending Vernon into a tizzy of worried thoughts. 

As if he knew at just that moment that Vernon was starting the fall out of his seat with anticipation, Seungkwan walked into the cafe, looking absolutely unbothered and entirely too beautiful for Vernon’s health. He was wearing a crisp white shirt, tucked into a pair of jeans that fit him impossibly well, and his cheeks were just slightly tinted pink, emphasizing the golden glow surrounding his face. Vernon took a moment to drink him in, suddenly realizing he was entirely fucked. 

It wasn’t until he was seated in front of him that Vernon realized that,  _ oh god _ , his hair was the prettiest shade of pastel pink, a stark difference from the previously chestnut hair he had been accustomed to. 

“Is it weird?” Seungkwan asked hurriedly, running one of his hands self consciously through his newly dyed hair, “I was kinda worried but I’ve been considering getting it done for awhile. That’s actually why I’m late, I was at the hairdresser-”

“It looks fucking amazing,” Vernon breathed out, his eyes unblinking as he watched as Seungkwan bit back a shy smile. 

“Well, good to know. You’re the first to see it.” Seungkwan laughed, his cheeks matching the shade of his hair. 

“Lucky me,” Vernon smiled back, “oh, I remembered you said you liked these muffins so I got you one, I hope it’s the right kind that would be really embarrassing if it wasn’t. I was going to get you flowers but you know, you’re a florist and I thought that would be kind of weird. Unless it isn’t in which case next time I’ll definitely get you flowers.”

Seungkwan snorted out a laugh, “you’re funny, Hansol. You worry too much.” 

“That’s what everyone seems to be saying nowadays,” Vernon mumbled shyly, his cheeks warming up under Seungkwan’s fond gaze. 

“It’s the right kind, thank you for remembering,” Seungkwan patted Vernon’s hand before taking a bite of his muffin, letting out a pleased hum as he did, “also I’m glad you didn’t get me flowers, I get free bouquets all the time. I much rather get lemon poppyseed muffins.”  

Vernon stared at Seungkwan, unsure of what to say next. It wasn’t often that he was speechless, but at this point he was so far gone with his nerves he really couldn’t think of a single thing to say that he wouldn’t trip over. He pressed his lips into a tight smile instead, swirling around the contents of his nearly empty coffee cup. 

“Why are you staring?” Seungkwan huffed, taking another careful bite of his muffin and furrowing his brows, “do I have muffin on my face?”

Vernon shook his head quickly, “I’m just nervous, sorry.” 

“I don’t know why you’re so nervous,” Seungkwan shrugged, “this isn’t a date or anything, remember? We’re just hanging out.” 

Vernon rolled his eyes but still felt a smile creep up his lips, “yes, Seungkwan, I remember. I can still be nervous, can’t I? You’re very charming, you know?” 

Seungkwan’s eyes quickly darted down towards his plate, his turn to become flustered coming at last. Vernon smiled proudly, glad that he wasn’t the only one affected by their casual flirting. 

“I know, I’m just so irresistible,” Seungkwan sighed, clearing his throat and collecting himself, “but no need to worry, sweet Hansol-ie, I’m just like you!” 

Vernon raised an eyebrow, “Hansol-ie? When’d you come up with that one?” 

“Just now, I guess,” Seungkwan shrugged, “do you like it? I know not many people call you Hansol, but I like the way it sounds. Vernonnie is a cute option too though.” 

Vernon considered this for a second, before letting a wide smile overtake his face, “you know, I’m starting to like the way it sounds too.” 

 

Seungkwan’s hands were soft, gentle and pliable. Vernon expected the first time they really held hands to be awkward, maybe a little sweaty on his behalf because of nerves, but something about the way his elegant fingers intertwine with Vernon’s own feels natural. It’s different from the night of the party, the fleeting moment when he grabbed Seungkwan’s hand to help him up, just enough taste to make him want to do it again. And now he was, walking down the streets of Seoul holding his cold yet soft hand, smiling like an idiot.

“You’re so easy to please,” Seungkwan laughed, swinging their arms a bit as they walked, “this still isn’t a date though. I just took pity on you because you’re  _ so _ needy.” 

“How many times are you going to say this isn’t a date?” Vernon challenged, his voice playful, but his heart just teetering on the edge of disappointment. 

What they had was fine, good even, the night had gone well and there were no awkward breaks in conversation or disinterest in whatever the topic was. Their chemistry was natural, even more than what Vernon had expected, so of course he would have liked to call it a first date. Because a first date meant the prospect of a second date, and from there even more, and Vernon was really starting to like the idea of more. 

“Until you believe it,” Seungkwan shrugged, his eyes twinkling mischievously as if he  _ knew  _ this was torture for the younger boy. He wasn’t being malicious, more teasing and flirty, like he somehow already knew every button to press to catch Vernon’s undivided attention. 

“I’ll believe it when you do,” Vernon countered, sticking his tongue out, “you can say this isn’t a date all you want, but I think you want it to be just as as much as I do.” 

Seungkwan huffed, rolling his eyes but his cheeks warmed up anyways and he didn’t even argue back, signaling that Vernon had in fact won that round. Vernon wanted nothing more than to reach forward and cup them, but he had more restraint than that, so instead he let himself count all the moles that speckled Seungkwan’s delicate features. He thought maybe the constellation on his right ear was his favorite, but as his eyes trailed across his face, taking in the little stars that stained the areas around his bright eyes, his pouty lips, his full cheeks, Vernon realized there was no way he’d ever be able to pick a favorite. 

“What are you staring at?” Seungkwan sighed, but a smile still played on his lips, “am I just that beautiful?”

“Yeah,” Vernon laughed breathily, “you are.” 

Seungkwan turned to look at him quickly, pushing his lips out in a pout, “you’re not supposed to be smooth, you’re supposed to get flustered and stumble all over your words.”

“Oh, am I?” Vernon laughed, smiling at the shorter boy with sparkling eyes. 

Seungkwan nodded, “you’re too good at this. I like having the upperhand and things are too equal right now.” 

“Afraid of the butterflies in your tummy?” 

“More like a swarm of bees,” Seungkwan smiled softly, looking down at his feet, “I guess this is kind of a date, huh?” 

“Ah, so you finally admit it!” Vernon exclaimed, “what was it? My great pickup lines?” 

Seungkwan stopped in his tracks, pausing to look up at Vernon with his head tilted and a mysterious look in his eyes. He removed his hand slowly from Vernon’s grip, much to his displeasure. 

Instead his hand moved up to Vernon’s face, cupping it gently just as he had wanted to do to him only a few minutes ago. His hand was still a little cold, but something about the gesture itself was so warm he couldn’t help but lean into the soft touch. 

“Your smile,” Seungkwan said softly, caressing circles on the top of Vernon’s cheekbone, his gaze unyielding and intense, as if he was thinking hard about something, “you smile with everything you got, I like that.” 

Vernon’s breath stuttered as they stood there, his mouth forming into a gentle “o”. He was suddenly hyper aware of everything around him, the gentle breeze pushing against cherry blossom trees, the scent of fresh baked pastries from a nearby bakery, and most of all, the cool touch of Seungkwan’s hand against his burning cheek. 

“Seungkwan,” Vernon whispered, finally finding his voice. 

“Hm?” the other boy answered, his eyes still studying Vernon’s face as if he wanted every detail catalogued into a book of memories. 

Vernon licked his lips, his eyes falling to Seungkwan’s, “can I kiss you?” 

Seungkwan’s eyes widened and his hand fell to his side quickly, making Vernon miss his comforting touch instantly. 

“No,” he shook his head, “I’m sorry, I probably lead you on but, no.” 

Vernon furrowed his brows, “don’t apologize, of course you can say no. I’m just a little confused, is it something I did wrong?” 

“I just,” Seungkwan sighed, running a hand through his pink locks, and Vernon wished it was running through his hair instead, “I know it sounds stupid, but I want the next person I kiss to be someone that at least has a chance of being my soulmate.” 

“And you don’t think I do?” Vernon asked, his voice small. 

“No!” Seungkwan said quickly, finally grabbing Vernon’s hand again and offering him some relief, “that’s not it at all, you’re great, and I like you a lot. It’s just, I need to be sure.” 

“How can you be sure if we don't try?” Vernon frowned. He was trying to understand the other boy the best he could, but he had already spent so much time waiting for the right moment, and he was afraid if he waited any longer it would never come. He was trying to finally live on his intuition, and there was a voice screaming in his head that Seungkwan was more than he had ever anticipated.

“Just- give me a little more time,” Seungkwan hesitated, “just a few more dates. I need to be sure, I need to know that this is it.” 

Vernon nodded slowly, still not completely understanding Seungkwan’s logic but not wanting to push him into something he wasn’t comfortable with. To him, there was already no questions to be asked, he was ready to take the test that would tell them if they really were meant to be, and he couldn’t help but be frustrated that they weren’t on the same page.

But then he looked down at Seungkwan, whose eyes were sparkling with uncertainty that was unfamiliar coming from him, and Vernon couldn’t be angry. 

He sighed, “I understand the best that I can, and I’ll wait.” 

Seungkwan’s lips raised into a small smile, the vice grip on Vernon’s hand finally relaxing when he realized he wasn’t going to leave him. 

“Thank you,” Seungkwan said quietly, “now can we continue on with our date and pretend this didn’t happen? Because I was having a great time up until you basically proposed to me.” 

Vernon snorted, shoving Seungkwan playfully, “at least you finally admit this is a date.” 

“Win some lose some, I guess,” he sighed, but the way he looked up at Vernon made him feel like there was no such thing as a losing team that night. 

As Seungkwan dragged him through the busy streets of Seoul, their hands linked as they bantered for hours under the night sky, Vernon couldn’t help but feel it was only the two of them and the stars, even as they were surrounded by hundreds of strangers. Patience hadn’t always been his strong suit, but he decided it was worth the try if it meant he got to spend the rest of his life listening to the boy with the pastel pink hair taunt him for his fashion choices. He was perfectly content with waiting. 


	11. SK4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AH, there are some Things we need to cover really quick.  
> first of all, yes it HAS been another month since i updated, wish i had a proper excuse but it's just the same as it's always been, perfectionism leading to procrastination etc etc etc, i am Sorry to those who have been waiting, i kinda forget people are actually reading this... it's still kinda disconnected from me that someone might actually enjoy my writing heh  
> SECOND, this fic was originally supposed to have 18 chapters BUT i went back and looked through my original planning and realized it was too spread out, and there was no way i'd be able to make seven more chapters with what storyline i have left, or at least, substantial chapters i guess. SO! i condensed it a bit, and as of right now it looks like there's going to be 14 chapters in total, MAYBE 15, but most likely 14. i also have a few spinoffs that will be in this series, however, so this universe is far from being complete  
> THIRD thank you as always to denna (@hootyhoon on twitter) for beta-ing this love u MUAH!

When Seungkwan was 17, he promised himself he wouldn’t fuss over the idea of finding his soulmate. He promised that he’d let it come naturally, because that was the more romantic way, and if Seungkwan was anything, he was a hopeless romantic. He promised he wouldn’t spend his young adult life worrying about “when” and “if” and “how”, he watched his older sisters spend nights lying awake, scared to go to sleep and wake up with their same dreams. He watched as his friends grew more anxious by the days. Seungkwan had made the executive decision early on that he would  _ not  _ be like them. 

But things were never really that simple, he supposed.

“I feel like I’m at a crossroads,” Seungkwan huffed, his head resting in Seokmin’s lap as his best friend carded through his hair with careful fingers. 

Maybe he was being a little melodramatic, but he had more than earned the right to complain. He had never liked someone so much in such a short amount of time, and he definitely had never had someone return the feelings with as much fervor as Hansol did. 

“I wish I could be more help, Boo Bear,” Seokmin sighed, frowning at Seungkwan apologetically. 

“There’s nothing really to be done anyways,” Seungkwan closed his eyes, his head spinning with the possibilities of what was to come with this new relationship, if he could even call it that, “it’s simple, isn’t it? I either continue to see him and eventually get over my dumb fears and kiss him, or I block his number and hope I don’t run into him ever again.”

“I don’t think the second option is very viable,” Seokmin laughed a bit, his hands leaving Seungkwan’s hair to pat his shoulder, “and laying around moping about this is just going to make you consider it more, so come on, we’re going out.” 

Seokmin shoved him off his lap gently, leaving Seungkwan to roll onto the floor at his feet.

“Where are we even going,” Seungkwan whined, curling into himself as he laid on their hardwood floor, hoping that it would swallow him whole so he wouldn’t have to deal with the decision he needed to make. 

“Jeonghan and Joshua’s, they invited us over for dinner,” Seokmin kicked at Seungkwan’s side lightly, “so go put on something cute, and be ready in five minutes. We don’t want to be late!” 

Seungkwan groaned, “isn’t Hansol going to be there? He’s like they’re adopted child or something.”

“He has plans with his friends that came to visit him,” Seokmin shook his head, “you aren’t getting out of this one, Boo Seungkwan. I will not let you waste away by yourself, we’re going to go out and have a good time, maybe have a few drinks, and tomorrow we’ll figure out what we’re going to do about your little boyfriend.”

“He’s  _ not  _ my boyfriend,” Seungkwan groaned louder, but he rose from his fetal position on the floor anyways, squinting at Seokmin, “and since when are you so close with Jeonghan and Joshua that they’re inviting you over for dinner? Haven’t you only met them once?” 

Seokmin shrugged, his cheeks flushing lightly, “we hit it off at the party, Jeonghan put me in a group chat with him and Joshua, and we’ve been chatting ever since, that’s all. They’re good friends, and I think Jeonghan might have some good advice for your little predicament.”

Seungkwan hummed, wondering if he should press his best friend further, he studied him carefully for a moment before deciding it wasn’t worth the heckling. Seokmin was a good best friend, the best even, and Seungkwan wasn’t in the mood to pester him about his new found friendship, however strange the circumstances might be. 

“Fine, I’ll go to dinner with you,” Seungkwan sighed, “but there better be vodka, and I don’t want to talk about Hansol, those are my two conditions.” 

“Deal!” Seokmin exclaimed, bouncing up from his seat and practically skipping towards their shared room, “five minutes!” 

 

Apparently Seungkwan’s two conditions worked against him more than they did for him, because he was definitely feeling the buzz from the vodka cranberry he had been sipping on, and he was more than willing to vent about Hansol to two people he barely knew. 

Sure, he’d been friends with Jeonghan for a little while, but all he really knew about Joshua was that A) he was Jeonghan’s soulmate and B) he was close with Hansol. Probably not the best person to complain about his Hansol related problems with, but the liquid courage he gripped in his hands told him different. 

“I’m not like, afraid of commitment or anything,” Seungkwan whined, his head resting in his hand as he stared off into the distance, feeling somehow even more dramatic than he had earlier, “I embrace commitment, I just need to know that it’s the right choice.”  

“You both think too hard,” Joshua sighed, “not that I want you to rush into things, I don’t want you to think I’m pushing you into this just so my job here is done or anything. I just think you’re both chronic overthinkers, in your own ways.”

“Your job?” Seungkwan asked, raising his eyebrow, “what do you mean?”

“Ah, Vernon didn’t tell you,” Joshua tsked, “I’m his soulmate guide, I brought him here because he needed a little help finding his soulmate. It happens more often than you think.” 

Seungkwan blinked at Joshua, his mouth hanging open as he absorbed this new information. He knew that Hansol had only been in Seoul for a few weeks, but he never knew exactly  _ why.  _

It wasn’t like it was a huge problem to him or anything, he knew it was a common practice to have a professional with a gift guide you towards your soulmate if you needed the help, but his heart panged a bit anyways. He understood why Hansol would be hesitant to share the information, but he couldn’t help but feel guilty. All this time he had someone pushing him in Seungkwan’s direction, whether it was consciously or not, and Seungkwan was just standing at the edge of the deep end, unwilling to jump off. 

He felt even more guilty when the thoughts running around his head still held him back from jumping in. 

“No, he didn’t tell me,” Seungkwan said, his voice small, “it’s going well then, the search?”

Joshua’s eyes twinkled, and a small smile formed on his face, “yes, Seungkwan, I think it’s going very well.” 

Jeonghan looked bewildered, his eyes darting back and forth between Seungkwan and Joshua, finally resting on Seokmin with a confused expression. 

“Are you hearing what I’m hearing,” he exclaimed, grabbing Seokmin’s upper arm and shaking him, “my boyfriend just basically admitted that Seungkwan is Vernie’s soulmate!” 

“I didn’t say that,” Joshua rolled his eyes, but the way he smiled over his glass of wine was more telling. 

“What are you going to do, Kwannie?” Seokmin asked, his eyes wide and cheeks flushed, arm still being held by Jeonghan’s vice grip. 

Seungkwan took another long sip of his drink, avoiding the eyes of the people sitting around him, their own eyes boring into his skin and making his already boiling anxiety burn like a wildfire beneath him. It was a lot to take in, and Seungkwan still wasn’t completely convinced. He could very well be another piece to Hansol’s puzzle in finding his true soulmate, and with the way Seungkwan felt so intensely so quickly about the other boy, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle watching him move on. If he kissed him and woke up with his same dreams, Seungkwan would simply never want to sleep again. If he kissed him, Seungkwan feared he’d never want to stop, and the very idea of Hansol not being the one made his heart break, only just a little, promise. 

“I don’t know,” Seungkwan breathed out, “I don’t know, this is a lot. It’s not for sure me, no offense to Joshua, but I don’t know if I could handle it not being me-” 

“That alone says a lot,” Jeonghan groaned, “you’ve already fallen head over heels with him, and by what means? A date and a half and some late nights texting, which by the way, you two have some very cute conversations. There’s obviously something much more than some shallow attraction and casual dates.” 

“You read our texts?” Seungkwan scrunched up his nose, thankful he hadn’t told Hansol any of his truly embarrassing stories over messenger, “and who’s to say this isn’t one sided, I mean, he’s obviously kinda into me, but I think I’m way more smitten with him.” 

“You are so incredibly naive,” Jeonghan shook his head, slapping Seokmin’s arm playfully, “can you believe this, Seokminnie? They are both so naive, what are we going to do with them?”

Joshua smiled at the two fondly before looking back over at Seungkwan, who was more confused than he had ever been in his life, for more than one reason now. He made a mental note to ask Seokmin what the hell was going on, once he wasn’t as drunk and whiny over Hansol, of course. 

“He’s definitely into you, Seungkwan,” Joshua said, “he never shuts up about you, not since that party. I’m pretty sure Chan is getting sick of hearing your name. He’s a little slow to show it, but he’s really taken with you.” 

Seungkwan groaned loudly, burying his face in his hands. This information  _ definitely  _ didn’t help the grip he had on the last of his impulse control. If what Joshua said was true, all of it, that meant that Seungkwan should just take the leap, the logical side of his brain was coming up with less and less reasons not to. The way his heart beat rapidly under his skin was giving him a million reasons to just do it. 

“Should I text him?” Seungkwan asked quickly, already busying himself with fishing his phone out of his pocket, “I’m going to text him.”

“Woah there, are you sure that’s a good idea right now?” Seokmin asked, grabbing Seungkwan’s wrist, “you’re a little tipsy, I don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret in the morning.”

Seungkwan shook his head, “no, no. I need to do this  _ now.  _ I’ve left him hanging all day, and for what? My own dumb dramatics?” 

Seokmin studied him for a second before letting out a puff of air, releasing his hold on Seungkwan’s wrist and nodding, “okay, but don’t yell at me tomorrow if you end up regretting this choice, because I  _ will  _ say I told you so.” 

“This is so exciting!” Jeonghan clapped, “it’s like watching a drama unfold in real life, Kwannie, can I please see what you’re saying?” 

“Jeonghan,” Joshua warned, the look on his face begging his boyfriend not to meddle, “let the boys figure out their own love lives, please.” 

Jeonghan pouted a bit, leaning back in his chair before resting his head on Seokmin’s shoulder, “I just want to help.” 

“I know,” Joshua laughed lightly, “you’ve been a lot of help, babe. This is up to them now.” 

“I’m still here, you know,” Seungkwan glanced around the table, his fingers hovering over the keypad of his Samsung Galaxy. He nearly wanted to ask Jeonghan to just go ahead and type a message out for him, but quickly decided against it at the thought of the older boy going too far and sending Hansol a love letter. 

_ Come to Jeonghan and Joshua’s apartment when you can,  _ he typed out, hitting send before he could rethink his choices. He sighed deeply, closing his eyes and trying not to let the weight of his decision burden him too much. He really was doing this, despite everything he had always said about not wanting to jump into anything too quickly, his poor impulse control had decisively overruled him in the end. 

“Why do you take this so seriously anyways,” Jeonghan asked, tilting his head, “not trying to pry or anything, I’m just genuinely curious. Most people your age are kissing anyone they have even a slight connection with. Hell, I know I was, before I met Joshua.” 

Seungkwan smiled a bit, “it’s simple, and kind of stupid, but I’m a romantic. I just want some grand gesture, I guess. I don’t want it to be a drunken kiss with just anyone, I want to find out and feel like I’m actually going to be in a relationship with someone, not just tied to them because of the stars or whatever.” 

Jeonghan clicked his tongue, “that’s not stupid, it’s cute! But you really need to just, I don’t know, chill out a little, not everything is going to go as your beautiful mind dreamt it up to be.” 

Seungkwan nodded, humming in agreeance but not really wanting to comment on what Jeonghan had said. He was right, and as much as Seungkwan had idealized finding his soulmate, he was starting to idealize instead the path he was on now. 

 

Hansol showed up almost too quickly, making Seungkwan worry that he ripped him away from his friends he hadn’t seen in so long. Hansol, of course, was adamant that hanging out with them was kind of exhausting anyways, describing the way they looked at each other as,  _ “disgustingly in love.”  _

And so they left Jeonghan and Joshua’s apartment, Seokmin insisting that he’d just stay the night with them under the guise of wanting to give Hansol and Seungkwan some alone time, but Seungkwan knew his best friend better than that. After his problems were sorted out, there was some intense interrogating to be had with Seokmin. 

“We always go on walks,” Seungkwan said, his hand clutching onto Hansol’s for dear life as he still challenged himself to walk on the edge of the curb, “is this like, our thing?”

Hansol chuckled, “do you want it to be?” 

Seungkwan looked at Hansol for a second, then back up at the night sky, the breeze in the air reminiscent of the one he had experienced the first night he met him. The stars were starting to remind him of Hansol himself, and Seungkwan knew there would come a time where he wouldn’t be able to go anywhere without being reminded of Chwe Hansol Vernon. 

“I think that would be nice. I like going on walks with you.” 

“Good, because I do too,” Hansol said simply, but Seungkwan could spot the way his cheeks lit up in a blush from a mile away.  _ So maybe Joshua wasn’t lying about his attraction to him.  _

“I like you,” Seungkwan sighed dreamily, “you’re kind of, perfect, or something close.” 

Hansol snorted, “I’m not perfect by any means, but thank you. I like you too.” 

“Perfect to me,” Seungkwan said under his breath, “ _ for  _ me.” 

“You’re bold tonight,” Hansol giggled, squeezing Seungkwan’s hand, “is it just the alcohol or has something changed so quickly?” 

“A little bit of both, I think,” Seungkwan hummed, looking at Hansol with starry eyes, “I’m sorry for not texting you today, I know I kind of left you hanging after last night.”

“Ah, it’s okay,” Hansol shook his head, eyes darting to his feet. 

“No, it’s not,” Seungkwan stopped in his tracks, pulling Hansol back by his tight grip on his hand, “I was being immature, and flighty. I’m sorry.” 

Hansol blinked, his mouth slightly gaping as he stared at Seungkwan’s pleading eyes, “it’s okay, really, I understand this is difficult for you, I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything-”

“I want to kiss you,” Seungkwan said quickly, staring into Hansol’s eyes with determination, “like, right now. I’m tired of being afraid of everything, I want to kiss you. Even if it means I’ll wake up and be heartbroken, I want to kiss you right now. I think we have a chance here and I don’t want to wait any longer.” 

Hansol nodded slowly, his face softening, “but will you want to kiss me in the morning?” 

“I want to kiss you  _ every  _ morning,” Seungkwan whined, “but I  _ really  _ want to kiss you now. So, can I?” 

Hansol bit his lip, considering Seungkwan’s plea for a second, “no.” 

“No? Is this payback because of last night? I swear I’m a changed man-” 

Hansol shook his head, his face and smile still soft, “I believe you, but I don’t want to kiss you, not like this. You’re still tipsy, and as much as I’d like to kiss you, and believe me, I really want to kiss you, we’re going to wait until you’re not drunk off of two cups of vodka cranberry.” 

Seungkwan wanted to argue, wanted to convince Hansol that he wasn’t even that tipsy, drunk on the thought of the two of them actually being soulmates more than anything, but Hansol was already pulling him along towards his apartment before he could open his mouth. 

“You really are near perfect,” Seungkwan sighed, “most people wouldn’t even care if I was a little tipsy, that’s the norm you know?” 

Hansol shrugged, smiling at Seungkwan, “I’m not most people, I guess.” 

Seungkwan groaned, “you’re so  _ cheesy. _ Who even says that?” 

“Told you I wasn’t perfect,” Hansol laughed, squeezing Seungkwan’s hand again.

Seungkwan never wanted to let go. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope this doesn't seemed rushed okay love u bye


End file.
